


The Guardian of Old London Town

by Scarlettpeony



Series: The Platinum Arc [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Civilian Zoisite, Dark Kingdom, F/M, Gen, Manga Verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 16:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 74,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3856966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlettpeony/pseuds/Scarlettpeony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ami has earned a place at one of the best universities in London. Her suspicions run high though when she runs into a familiar face: Zoisite. Except he's not. He is Hugo Zehren, a fellow student of medicine with a life of his own and a troubling past to boot. Together with the appearance of the foreboding "Phantom" and the rest of the Sailor Senshi back in Japan, Ami alone is left to uncover whether Hugo truly is as innocent as he appears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ヒューゴー - Hugo

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The following is a fanwork based on the Sailor Moon manga series by Naoko Takeuchi. I have no affiliation with the franchise or its creator.
> 
> This fic is going to be based on a long-held idea I had about the Sailor Senshi disbursing across the world to do their own thing and continuing their Senshi world independently while trying to achieve their personal goals. The one I have developed the most is Ami's story, so here it is.
> 
> I also create art for this fic so do check it out: http://sophie-lou.deviantart.com/gallery/55478550/Guardian-of-Old-London-Town

Travelling abroad to study in Europe had been a huge leap of faith for Ami. It had led her to one of the leading medical schools in the world, right in the heart of London to boot. She was set to committing at least four years of her life to this odd new country and culture, to throw her weight into a dedicated study. Just as with Mamoru leaving to study in the United States, she was here in Merry Ol' England, about to embark on the course that would either make or break her.

She told herself she was ready for anything and everything university life threw at her. Studying would only get her half way, the rest would be on her ability to connect to, interact with and ultimately help people. She would have to tailor herself to patients. When she first set off on this goal to become a doctor this was the one area where she knew she fell short. Now, thanks to Usagi and the others, she felt it would be possible to knuckle down and know her patients well enough to win their confidence.

Yes, going into her introductory ethics lecture she knew -  _just knew_  - she had it all in her.

Then she saw  _him_.

The young man had been sitting over to the right of the auditorium, several rows below Ami but from an angle where she got a good look at him. From a distance, she thought perhaps the physical characteristics were blurred and undefined, that it was just someone who looked a little like him, but could not possibly  _be_  him. Her eyes drifted to him a few times during the hour-long lecture, desperately trying not to let that face - the face of a former enemy - distract her from what the speaker was saying.

Naturally he had no eyes for her; he had no reason to look away from the lecturer or the notebook in front of him. It was interesting to Ami that he was indeed using a notebook rather than a laptop, netbook or tablet like the other students were, including herself. He stared forward most of the time, swiftly writing down without looking at the paper. Ami watched him for a full ten seconds before she finally looked back to the lecturer.

Dr. Imogen Roser had actually been the one to interview Ami for her place at the school. She had been impressed by her academic record but had worried about whether she had the interpersonal skills to deal with patients. Thankfully, the middle-aged woman had taken a shine to her and expressed a desire to accept her then and there, and Ami received the confirmation of an offer a few weeks later. Thinking of that, she felt fairly guilty about staring at that boy when she should be focusing on the speech of this remarkable doctor.

Still, Ami kept glancing over. At one point she caught him flicking a strand of his long, pale blond hair out of his eyes as he took a rare moment to actually look at what he was writing. He didn't seem confused or concerned about the state of his notes and immediately went back to staring forwards while blindly continuing his chicken scratches.

Ami bit her lip. This man certainly looked as handsome as the young Shitennou had been - but was it actually Zoisite? Was he there as part of some great coup? Could that even be possible? After all, the battle with Chaos should have eradicated all the enemies for good, shouldn't it?

The lecture ended.

Ami slowly packed her bag up while glancing sideways at the mysterious boy and training her hearing to pick up anything he said or was said to him.

Another student who didn't look like anyone Ami recognised came up behind "Zoisite" and slapped him on the back lightly. 'Hey, Hew, coming to the library after this?'

This "Hew" nodded and said sighing, 'Might as well. Got that first essay due, haven't we?' His accent was an exotic mixture of the local well-to-do Londoner that she heard many of her peers speak in and the lilt of a different tongue that Ami did not know. Either way, his voice was soft and lovely, just as Zoisite's had been as he coldly threatened to kill them all unless they handed over the Legendary Silver Crystal.

That voice is what prompted her to keep an eye on him. As well adjusted to the environment he seemed - better than she or many of the other students seemed to be - he could just be a very fine actor. In fact, she suspected that Zoisite could have blended into any crowd and look like he belonged. Only his unearthly good looks and distinctive hair made him stand out from the duller looks and tones around him.

He nodded swiftly to Dr Roser as he left but did not stop to say hello. The doctor sighed, 'Morning, Hugo.' Her eyes watched him go as they drifted to Ami, who was still hovering behind him, keeping an eye on the man who she now knew was called "Hugo". It felt odd though - she had expected a name beginning with Z or perhaps S.

'Ms. Mizuno,' Dr Roser said, smiling at the young woman. 'How are you? Doing alright?'

Ami blushed, very aware that she had been staring at a random boy while her "mentor" had been watching. 'Yes, very well, doctor.'

'I believe you will be receiving your seminars in Biomedical Science from myself, so I am hoping to see a lot more of you,' Dr Roser went on. 'I hope you aren't finding the structure too much different from home in Tokyo.'

'Not at all,' Ami said quickly, glancing to see if Hugo was still in sight; he was lingering with some other students in the atrium. 'I am enjoying it so far.'

'Well, you are welcome to come and see me during my office hours,' Dr Roser added, before glancing in the direction Ami kept looking. She smiled faintly but said nothing. 'Enjoy the rest of your day. I'll see you soon.'

Ami nodded then made a hasty retreat. Upon turning she could no longer see the Zoisite doppelgänger. Her heart pounded as she rushed towards the door and into the reception area, scanning the tops of people's heads for either him or that guy he had been speaking to. Not a trace. He moved quickly, it seemed.

Her chest settling down, she immediately thought to find a quiet spot and scan the area for any abnormal energy or activity. Even if she found some though she would have to deal with it alone. The girls were back in Japan. If something was about to go down here in London, she was the first and only frontier.

Ami knew she had half an hour before her next class. In the meantime, she would do the scan. After all, if this man really was a threat then everyone in this hospital could be in serious danger.

* * *

'The human body is nothing to be frightened of,' a stout doctor named Dr Finley began, staring out across the laboratory as groups of students lined up behind their very own cadavers. 'Whether you go into consultancy, surgery or general practice, you will all benefit from this - the most traditional of teaching methods for future doctors...'

The look on the surprisingly young doctor's face did not blend with the task at hand - the biological study of the body through pathologically analysing those left to medical science. It had always been something Ami had thought she could do herself. That was... until she realised that her own death would not be like other humans. Being a living demigoddess meant her body would be very unlikely to grace a future medical student's table.

Ami looked over to the left to see Hugo less than one person away from her and in her gross anatomy group – like it was meant to be. Like some divine force knew Ami wanted to keep an eye on him and so placed him in the perfect position for her to analyse him closely. Her eyes remained focused on him as she tried to compare physical characteristics that he had with what she remembered Zoisite having – all while trying to listen to Dr Finley's introduction.

Hugo was listening intently as he had done during the lecture before. His impractical hair had been swept right back under the surgical hood but was so wild that tiny strands still peeked out from underneath. From this view, she could see the bright lights reflecting off his eyes. They seemed a less marble green and more an olive green. That was at least one difference. She had scanned the area and detected nothing so... perhaps the resemblance  _was_  a coincidence?

'...incidentally,' Dr Finley went on, dragging Ami back on topic, 'these subjects before you are yours. They are all unique, you will discover differences. Never be afraid to compare or ask advice of your peers.'

Everyone instinctively nodded, including Ami. She glanced at Hugo again; his eyes seemed to be smiling. It seemed so genuine that she couldn't help but smile too.

'Last but not least,' the doctor finished. 'This is going to take up five hours, three mornings a week, so you better get used to each other. I highly recommend you form study groups if you have not already to keep your minds focused and motivated. Take a chance to get to know your fellow lab partners.'

There was a collective murmur. Ami found herself feeling tense inside, not too keen to work with other people still while knowing it would be necessary for her degree.

A thought then occurred to her, though she was certain it wouldn't work... would it?

Fortunately she had less time to think before an outstretched hand if the guy who stood between her and "Zoisite" snapped out of her calculations. 'Hi!' he began with a bright smile. His hair was paler than even Hugo's was, almost white. She wondered if it was natural or bleached, as the nicely manicured hand indicated this guy was well presented. 'I'm Dan—'

At the point Hugo dragged his hand back and shook his head. 'I think the good doctor meant  _after_  he'd finished introducing the class, you twat.'

His olive green eyes flashed as he finally came eye to eye with Ami. She gasped as they stared for a few seconds. She wasn't sure if it was a look of recognition or just curiosity at actually looking at her for the first time. He nodded to her nonetheless, respectfully acknowledging her.

'Hugo,' Dr Finley said informally to the young student, incurring an eye roll from Hugo. 'And you, Mr Bright, try not to scare Ms Mizuno too much. Now, time to get started. First, direct your attention to the mannequin. There are several areas I want you to you palpate on your cadavers - or indeed, on yourselves.'

'Or each other,' Dan whispered under his breath, glancing at Ami again.

She was certain her neck was starting to itch.

'Enough, Mr Bright,' Dr Finley scolded, a little sterner now. 'Pay attention or get out of the lab.'

'Pardon me, doctor,' Dan nodded respectfully, now fully focused as his teacher began to run his pointer over the bare skinless mannequin to point out where he wanted their focus to be.

'Good, now these bony landmarks are the clavicles, the sternum...'

The last member of their lab group, a pretty dark haired girl, giggled lightly. Ami had not even noticed her hovering beside Hugo until now. Her fingertips glided over the bones Dr Finley pointed out, taking it all in slowly. She had very beautiful blue-grey eyes that sparkled above her surgical mask. Ami made a note to speak with her later – perhaps she already knew Hugo and could be coaxed to reveal information?

Their first session was dedicated to initially impressions of and the actual opening of the skin, analysing the skin and nerves. First the chest, then the abdomen. For his earlier snark, Dr Finley had suggested that Dan perform the first institution.

'I hear you know your way around a scalpel already,' he joked.

Dan scowled but his moment was stolen by Hugo, who put down the marker pen he had used to make the guidelines and took up the scalpel himself. 'Why send a boy to do a boy's job?' he mumbled.

Dr. Finley smirked, 'You are your mother's son, alright.'

The good doctor then turned to check on another group of med students.

Hugo took a deep breath and set about the first slice. Ami kept her eyes on his face, taking in all the seriousness and concentration spread over it. It was foolish, considering that she should have been making notes or at least paying attention to what his  _hand_  was doing. He seemed just as determined as the rest of them to bypass the human aspect and see the deceased before him as just what he was - a subject.

Would Zoisite be  _this_  dedicated to his act?

Once he was done, he cast his eye over the group and seemed to smile. Ami guessed that her eyes had to have the same look of disbelief as the rest at how easy he had made that first cut seem. 'Just think of this as a piece of machinery,' he told them. 'What made this guy a person has long since passed on to something better; this is just the vassal that carried him.'

The dark haired beauty chuckled at his eloquent speech. Ami felt a little dazzled too. 'Beautifully put, sir. Only you could make gross anatomy sound like computer mechanics as told by T.S. Elliot.'

Hugo scoffed, 'I don't know a thing about fixing computers. We're going anti-clockwise around the table so you're up next, Kris.'

He was referring to the young woman. On closer inspection, Ami noticed the girl seemed slightly older than Hugo or herself. She couldn't get a good enough read off Daniel yet to figure out where he ranked in the age pole.

Kris - which Ami found out seconds later from Hugo's instruction was short for "Christabel" - took up her scalpel to continue the initial exploration of the corpse. Ami watched, silently making notes if initial observations. Kris glanced up and seemed to smirk, 'Ooh, I see you're a habitual note-taker too,' she said coquettishly, then glanced at Hugo. 'Two on one lab team will make it easier for Dan and me.'

Ami looked to Hugo as he blindly made notes like he had earlier in their ethics lecture. It took him a moment to even register what Kris was saying, and he blankly looks up with a hum. 'Oh,' he said slowly. 'Yeah, well, if you think you'll be getting free worksheets, you can bugger off!'

Kris fluttered her eyes, 'Charming. Okay, I think I can see the outline of the rib cage now...'

Hugo then looked over to Ami, speaking to her directly for the first time. 'Ms. Mizuno, may I call you Ami?'

It was the custom of the West for peers to refer to each other by their first names. Seeing as she would presumably be calling him "Hugo", it seemed only fair she conceded. 'If you wish,' she replied in a formal English tone.

Hugo nodded, 'Ami… be careful of these two. They are good at the technical stuff but rubbish study partners. Don't let them take advantage of you,' he informed her. He clicked his pen to start writing again, 'That is an open invitation to join our study group, by the way. We could use another person and it makes sense since we're all in gross anatomy together.'

This had moved faster than Ami anticipated. She had thought she would have to work to get into Hugo's good graces, which would have been a challenge for her as she often liked to avoid social interactions, but fate seemed to have popped them in the same place long enough for him to absentmindedly  _offer_  to get closer to him.

It was easy for her to overthink this situation too. On the one hand, the fact that he had casually asked her to join their study group suggested that he had no reason to fear her. Zoisite - the one she had known who served the Dark Kingdom - would likely not have been so direct or forward with his approach. He would have been sneaky. Then again, perhaps this  _was_  his way of drawing her in, getting her off guard and then when she least expected it he would slice her open with an ice shard or tear her apart with his random will-o-the-wisps.

As she thought it through her silence became palpable and she realised that Hugo, Kris and Dan were all staring at her after she had stood there for ten seconds in silence.

Hugo looked back to his notebook, as if to avoid eye contact with her, 'No pressure. We meet every day at six, or we'll probably meet up after this, seeing as we've just had lab...?'

He said this questioningly, looking up to the others. Kris shrugged to a lazy affirmative and Dan shook his head, 'Late lunch first,  _then_  more study.'

'How could you be hungry after doing this?' Kris mumbled.

'Because it's a five-hour long session?' Dan replied sarcastically.

'Either way,' Hugo said, looking back to Ami, 'I'll give you my email for when you decide.' Then he turned back to the task at hand, 'Right. Let's peel back old Bernard's skin flaps ad get a look at the superficial fascia. Dan, do the honours, will you?'

Dan raised an eyebrow, 'Oh you really do hate me, don't you?'

'I love to hate you, though",' Hugo said cheerfully. 'Besides, I did the hard part.'

'Bernard?' Ami questioned, picking up on the last statement.

'Yes,' Hugo said jokily. 'I thought it'd be nice if we gave him a nickname. We'll be spending a few weeks with him and it seems rude to refer to him as "the cadaver", right?'

'He's a corpse, Hugh, not a puppy,' Kris scolded him. 'What happened to "treating him like a machine"?'

'I named my laptop too, I'll have you know,' Hugo protested, watching as Dan began to "clear the way" so they could get a close look at the chest. It made Ami shiver a bit and she couldn't help but remember that the hypodermis - the layer of fat between the skin and the fascia - was just as much in her body as it was in "Bernard's". Hugo seemed to notice this and so caught her attention with a smile. 'I called him "Harvey".' Then he winked.

For the first time in a while, Ami blushed.

* * *

After class, they all met up in the waiting area outside the laboratory and Ami got a good look at everyone for the first time. Without their masks, Dan and Christabel revealed themselves to be even more attractive than she had initially given them credit for. Kris had a well-defined heart-shaped face, full lips and naturally long eyelashes. Her hair was a wave of darkness that flowed over her shoulders and to her waist, once she pulled the pins out to release it. It even made Ami feel a bit tomboyish in comparison.

Dan on the other had had a very small, delicate face even compared with the beauty of Hugo's. It was distinctly masculine... but only by a bit. His hair colour looked like a young child's shade of blond, though in the artificial light it looked almost tow-haired. It went well with his deep ocean green eyes and his just-off pallid complexion. His smile, however, was small and cheeky, as if there was always secret hidden behind it.

They were both truly curious individuals.

She dared to take a look at Hugo, this being the closest she had been to him without a surgical mask on or his hair swept away.

Despite always having seemed dainty and effeminate when Ami had first seen Zoisite, seeing Hugo right next to her made her realise the differences. For one, Hugo looked older although that was to be expected. It had been five years since the Dark Kingdom's reign, if it ever existed at all now the universe had been remade without Chaos, and Zoisite had been noticeably the youngest of the Shitennou. Sixteen, maybe? Whatever his age, he had still had the fleshy face of a boy - not a man. That was probably why he had seemed so girlish compared to the others, even Jadeite. It wasn't even the long blond hair, which Hugo's matched to the exact length, as both Nephrite and Kunzite had worn theirs long too. But Nephrite had been a bruiser to the end, a man's man. As for Kunzite, he had been a giant. Even compared to the towering image of Queen Beryl, he had been well over two-hundred metres tall. Even now the memory of those glaring yellow eyes made Ami shiver. All of their eyes had reflected an emptiness as if they were not fully people...

Hugo gave off none of that. His blond hair was indeed long, wavy and untameable as she remembered that boy Zoisite's to have been, but there was warmth to it. It was very pale, no yellow lustre to speak of. If it had any lustre, it was more... copper; a cold copper, that showed itself only at the roots. The rest was just icy blond curls. His eyes, as she had already observed, were green like leaves in late August; a more wholesome colour.

Dan tilted his head as he took in Ami's face for the first time too. 'Ha, you look even cuter with your mask off. Your mouth especially.'

Those words caught her off guard as she felt her cheeks turn red and her neck start to itch. Even after all these years she still had an aversion to random compliments.

To her surprise though she had a saviour:

'Leave it out, Dan,' Hugo sighed, sounding slightly annoyed. He was finishing around in his pocket for something as his eyes met Ami's again. Already her neck was starting to settle down a little bit, as his he had a magical healing property. He smiled at her, 'Don't be too flustered, Ami. Dan's just a natural born flirt.'

'Indeed,' Kris nodded, folding her arms and leaning to one side with a cocky smile. 'He even came on to Hughie when they first met. Danny's an equal opportunist flirt.'

Daniel's tiny little smile grew a millimetre wider. 'What can I say? You are all such beautiful people.' He then looked to Ami and bowed his head naturally, making her guess he was fairly familiar with Japanese culture, 'My sincerest apologies, Ms Mizuno.'

She shook her head, 'Not at all.'

Looking back to Hugo she was shocked to see him pull out a packet of loose tobacco, filters and roll-up paper. 'You smoke?!' she gasped without thinking.

Hugo looked up and smirked, 'God, you sound like my sister.'

'She is right, though, Hughie,' Kris said. 'It doesn't look good for a med student to be rolling his own cancer sticks.'

'I've been doing it since I was eighteen and I'm not gonna quit now,' he said firmly, but humorously.

Ami looked his everyday clothes up and down; he seemed very much a member of the hipster generation, the fashionable rouges of the western world. It suited him. What made it clear that he was a hipster were his boots – carefully polished and well-maintained. Everything about him screamed "Posh boy, non-confirmer".

He suddenly became aware that all three of them were watching him, and he felt judged.

'Jesus, you lot! I don't smoke that much.'

Dan tilted his head cutely, 'We just don't want to see you die, Hugh.'

A tiny smile crossed Hugo's lips and he quietly whispered. 'Oh, I have no fear of that…' and his eyes fell on Ami at that moment, making her feel momentarily cold to the bone. D-did he mean something by that? Was that smile indicating something? But then he cocked his head to one side and spoke directly at her, 'They're nothing special. German made but nothing more…'

Confused, she realised he was talking about his boots. Blushing deep red again, Ami realised that she had been staring at his feet for an abnormal amount of time.

'T-they're nice,' Ami quivered back.

'Hmm,' Hugo hummed, then placed the completed roll-up in his mouth as he shrugged his jacket on.

 

 

'Well, shall we head over to the library, gang?'

'Seems like a plan,' Kris said, shuffling forward with her arms still folded.

'If you're having a cig then I'm getting coffee,' Dan said brightly.

Hugo hummed enthusiastically, 'Hmm! Get one for me too. Black as a witch's heart.'

'Latte for me,' Kris said sexily. 'I could slaughter one right now.'

'You two are taking advantage of my good nature!' Dan boyishly pouted, but it only lasted a moment. 'I guess we need coffee for our study session though so… alright.'

Ami had silently watched the exchange between the three unfold as it occurred to her for the first time that these three had known each other for a while. They were so familiar with each other's mannerisms and quirks that it made her feel, once and for all, that even if this was Zoisite or some form of Zoisite, he had connections to this place, these people.

Hell, hadn't he just mentioned he had a sister?

As if knowing he was all that filled her mind, Hugo turned back to Ami, remembering he had promised her his email. He pulled out a tiny notebook from his inner pocket – she wondered how many he had hidden about his body – and scribbled the address down. 'Here, I said I'd give you this, right?' he said quickly. He ripped out the page and gave it to her, 'Like I said no pressure.'

He seemed back and smirked. 'I hope my smoking and Dan's perviness hasn't put you off – we're okay, really!'

They stayed silent for a while as if he was expecting her to say something other than 'Thank you' or 'It's fine'. When all he got was a smile, Hugo sighed and nodded. 'I check it every day so… email anytime.'

Ami bit her lip. She wasn't sure how she mustered the courage to do it but –

'Actually, I'd love to join your study group!' she blurted out so quickly she almost said "kenkyū" instead of "study" in the sentence. 'L-like you said before, it makes sense we should all form one.'

Hugo blinked, surprised at her sudden passion.

It was Kris who broke the awkwardness by sauntering forward and grabbing Ami's arm. 'Well, well, it's about time we have another girl in the group. These two tend to just frighten them away.'

'Piss off, Krissy,' Dan chuckled.

Hugo just shrugged, pulled out his lighter and pointed towards the door. 'Come on, let's go. I really need a smoke.'

'And I really need coffee,' Kris groaned comically.

'Scratch that,' Hugo said quickly. 'I need a fag and a coffee.'

'Four coffees then,' Dan smirked. 'Let's head over to the SU and grab some. Oh, and stand down wind of us, Hew. I don't want to catch passive cancer.'

A gentle eye-roll later, Hugh opened the door for them all. ' _You_  piss off, Dan.'


	2. 昏睡 - Dead Sleep

It was surprising how easily Ami got into the swing of things with this new study group despite its ambiguous members. Just from walking from the pathology lab to the Student Union and towards the library she had learned a couple of interesting quirks about them. For example, Kris liked to call everyone pet names like "Hughie" and "Danny". Unlike Hugo, though she had yet to ask Ami if it was okay to use her first name but she got around that by simply calling her "lovely" – which Dan assured her it was being used as a noun and a term of endearment. As for Dan himself, he was a flirt through and through. Everything he said had a charming edge to it, almost as if he was born to be an actor rather than a doctor.

In fact, the only one who stayed quiet – aside from Ami herself – was Hugo. Now and then he would make a quip relating to something the other two had said but otherwise he calmly smoked his cigarette. Then once he had done that, he walked with his hands in his pockets and remained silent.

That was until they got to the library to go over the lesson.

Ami was glad they had gone for coffee first. A chai latte was exactly what she had needed after five hours on her feet while she drew guide lines all over a cadaver, peeled piece by piece the skin and fat away. This was not the first dissection she had ever conducted but it was the first human and it had drained her. Coffee was a much needed pick-up.

'First of all, let's go over the notes Ami and I made,' Hugo began and he leaned over to very quickly look at her notebook. She almost blushed at how close he was standing; he smelt like Australian berries. 'Uh,' he sighed, stopping for a beat. 'You made some of your notes in kanji.'

At that, she blushed even deeper. 'It's… just so I can follow a little better. My English is fine.'

'I never said it wasn't,' Hugo said, still leaning close to her. 'I was just being nosey. Anyway…' and he sat back in his chair again. 'Ami, like me, did seem to make the most notes so… why don't you two,' he glanced at Dan and Kris, 'Tell us what you observed and we will just fill in the gaps?'

With that, he took a swig of his coffee with a gulp of satisfaction. Ami stared at him in awe. He noticed her impressed look and smiled before looking especially at Dan, 'Chop-chop, Danny-boy!'

'Your starter for ten, no conferring,' Kris sniggered randomly. She was making a reference Ami didn't get but still she smiled at anyway because it sounded funny. 'Or should I go first and save your gag reflexes like Hughie did while cutting into old Bernie.'

'I made incisions too,' Dan mumbled, putting out his surprisingly plain black notebook.

'Only after the rest of us had first,' Ami said under her breath teasingly. She was already getting into the spirit of things.

Dan couldn't help but snort amusedly and Hugo cocked an amused eyebrow. 'Well, well, even Ami thinks you're a pussy, Dan.'

'Alright, alright,' Dan said, clearing his throat of laughter. 'Let's focus on the superficial thorax, shall we?'

'Calm down, Dan,' Hugo said jovially. 'You need a thicker hypodermis.'

That did warrant a genuine burst of laughter from Ami – having got that he was playing on the western term to be "thick skinned" which meant to take criticism better – proud to have got the joke. The other two instead groaned and rolled their eyes. Hugo shrugged, 'Oh well, at least  _you_  think I'm funny, Ami.'

After that they knuckled down and got to studying. This was where Ami shined brightest, taking in information, calmly putting down notes and even planning spreadsheets to help her and her study friends keep track of what they went over after they left the library. At one point they all got up to search for books relevant to their subject – skin, fat and nerves in a nutshell – and slowly made their way back to the table for more study.

It wasn't until she found she was the second person to get back to the table that she remembered her "side mission".

Hugo was already back at the table, having procured the book he wanted and was very swiftly planning out a mind chart of all of his findings, looking between his notes, the textbook and the piece of paper he was writing on.

This whole time she had almost forgotten how much like Zoisite he looked. Though everything about them was so similar right down to the pitch perfect voice, Hugo's drastically different personality had almost completely blotted out her doubts about him. Now they were alone, those doubts came flooding back and she knew she had to settle this once and for all.

She purposely cleared her throat to alert him to her being there.

He did not look away from his work and continued on. 'I  _did_  know you were there, Ami. Most people say "hello", you know.'

'Hello—' she stopped, remembering that she did not know his last name. 'Mister, um…'

He finally stopped and looked up, smiling. 'Hugo Zehren.'

'Mr. Zehren,' Ami repeated.  _So his_ last _name is a "Z"?_

'But the only person who gets called "Mr. Zehren" is my dad's uncle who we don't speak to. He's a teacher,' he chuckled, and then went on. 'Me? You can just call me "Hugo" or "Hew"… or "Hughie" if you want to annoy me like Kris or my sisters do endlessly.'

'I shall say Hugo,' Ami said formally. She had expected for him to turn back to his work but he didn't, instead continuing to look at her. 'So,' she said, trying to keep the conversation going. She was reminded of something that she had wondered about earlier and decided to ask him now. 'You have more than one sister then?'

'I have three,' Hugo replied, choosing this moment to sit down again but not go back to drawing his mind chart. 'All older than me: Audrey, Helen and Sophie. They're all in medicine too.'

'Is that why you went into this then?'

'I've always wanted to be a doctor,' Hugo said quickly, almost defensively. 'Coming from a family of nothing but scientists and doctors just sealed the deal.'

Ami tilted her head, noticing how keen he seemed to be to defend his position here as a student. Once again, he seemed less like a role Zoisite could be playing and more like a normal young man with issues relatable to anyone. She could understand that type of hang-up, being seen as just following tradition rather than becoming a doctor for his own reasons.

She went to sit down again, taking the chair opposite him. 'So, your parents are doctors too?'

Hugo leaned back in his chair and looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, eyebrow cocked. Ami noticed this was a common habit of his. 'Why are you asking so many questions?'

Her heart skipped a beat. 'Huh?'

'Questions,' he repeated. 'You're asking a lot of them. Why?'

'I-I'm just… curious.'

'Liar,' he said plainly. All the humour was gone from his voice and it scared her. 'What's the real reason?'

Ami genuinely began to wish that Kris or Dan would walk in and break the tension. She glanced wistfully over at the door before realising she had to answer the question as naturally as possible. This could very well be the moment that Hugo would reveal his true colours and attack.

She sighed; honesty was the best policy here.

'I thought I recognised you from somewhere…'

Immediately Hugo's shoulders slouched, eyes closed and he groaned, rubbing them slowly. 'Christ! I was hoping  _you_  of all people wouldn't.'

Her blood was ice cold. Instinctively she touched her Mercury Crystal Broach, ready to take action.

He glanced over to her, 'Where did you see it?'

Ami's hand gripped the outline of the tip, froze still at the question. For a moment she thought she had misunderstood his English but… 'It?' she repeated.

'Yeah,' Hugo continued. 'Was it an article or some piece of news you saw when you got here? I mean, I don't know how long you've been here but—'

Her hand fell away from her skirt.

'I'm afraid I don't follow.'

'About my… "dead sleep", shall we say?' Hugo clarified, sitting up again as he drew a long breath. 'I'd hoped because you come from Japan you might not know about it. With everyone else, well, they're med students. They  _all_  know.'

Completely relaxed now, Ami leaned forward and rested her hands on the table. 'Dead sleep?' she tried to process his choice of words and realised it had been for her benefit.  _Konsui_. It twigged immediately. 'You were in a coma,' she said, as a statement rather than a question.

Hugo kept his eyes down as if it would hide the somewhat crestfallen look on his face. 'Sorry,' he said slowly. 'It's just… there was a time when it was all people wanted to talk to me about. Literally, it was  _all_  they asked. Hell, doctors were doing CAT scans, MRI scans, you name it they did it after I woke up. I'm pretty sure a colleague of my mother even printed the goddamn findings in a medical journal at the same time the press printed it, hence why everyone knows about it.' He took a deep breath and looked up, 'I guess even you saw it, huh?'

Ami said nothing either way. It was better to pretend that she had known to save him embarrassment.

'I'm sorry if I offended you.'

'I wasn't offended just… fed up,' and Hugo chuckled at that. 'Sorry for snapping.' Ami blinked, a little confused at his word choice. He quickly realised his error, 'Oh, I mean, I'm sorry for yelling at you.'

'Oh, not at all,' she said quickly, realising what he had meant. 'I understand this is very personal for you. But I promise, I wasn't asking questions for that reason – you genuinely look like someone I used to… know.'

She never  _knew_  Zoisite, though. He was little more than an automaton from what she remembered – or he had seemed that way with the harshness he had dished out. There was none of that coldness in Hugo. Hell, if anything this whole thing proved how very much human he was.

'I see,' he finally said. 'Was this back in Japan?'

'Yes. Have you ever been?'

'Nope, never,' he affirmed twice. Then another moment before he (begrudgingly) added detail, 'I had wanted to go, though, when I was younger. Like fourteen or fifteen.'

'Why did you change your mind?'

He shrugged, 'Grew out of it, I suppose. Still, it'd be nice to visit someday.'

'Perhaps you could study out there?' Ami suggested, not sure why she had said it once she had. His face seemed so wistful and distant that she felt an affinity with him at that moment. 'It might be good for you to at least do a year in another country, to learn about the different medical systems.'

Hugo nodded slowly, 'I suppose. Still I've always felt that something was keeping me here in the UK.'

'How do you mean?' she asked, leaning further forward.

'I don't know,' he shrugged, seeming to feel awkward all of a sudden. He was worried he was talking nonsense. 'But recently I feel like I'm close to discovering what it is…'

The door slammed open, bouncing off the wall as Kris lumbered through with an arm full of heavy books. Ami leapt backwards in his chair from the shock. Only then she realised how intently she had been gazing at Hugo, virtually staring into his eyes.

Kris looked over at them just as Hugh got up to relieve some of the load from her. 'Bloody hell, Kris, could you have been any louder?'

'Sod off, Hughie,' she said jovially. 'At least I managed to find everything before someone else got to it. We better be careful as some of these books have only two copies in the whole library. This one,' she grabbed the second from the bottom and held it up, 'doesn't even have a Reference Only copy. Can you believe it?'

'No, I cannot,' Hugo said sarcastically and placed the pile on the table. 'Where the heck did Dan disappear to?'

'Probably got lost,' Kris suggested. 'His sense of direction is worse than a bat that's had its wings clipped and its voice box removed.'

She winked at Ami, who smiled in return. Kris was very, very pretty with that long wavy raven hair. The young woman sat down next to Ami and pulled out a hair bobble to scoop it all up into a bun.

'I'll text him,' Hugo muttered, pulling out his phone. Then he swore under his breath. 'There's no signal here.'

'Yeah, I know,' Kris said. 'You'll have to go outside.'

Hugo tutted and grabbed his jacket. 'Whatever. I needed another smoke anyway. I'll see if I can find him on the way out.'

He checked his pockets to make sure he had everything – tobacco, roll-up paper, filters – then headed off. Ami watched him go and stared off into the distance once he was out of sight, a gesture that did not escape Kris's attention. 'He  _is_  a babe, isn't he?'

Ami's head spun around so quickly she cracked her neck. 'What?'

'Hugo,' Kris sighed thoughtfully. 'He's very, very attractive, yes?'

Her cheeks burned furiously.

'Oh, well, yes I suppose he is,' Ami said quickly. 'Um, I'm sorry. It was rude to stare.'

'You don't have to apologise to me,' Kris smirked. 'You wouldn't be the first girl to go all gooey for Hughie. I see lots of girls eyeing him up whenever we're out and about...'

A rather awkward thought occurred to Ami. She blushed as she asked her next question. 'Is Hugh your boyfriend, then?'

'Nope,' Kris beamed. 'I just fancy him a bit. Hell, I think  _Dan_  fancies him a bit. He's very "fanciable", don't you think?'

Ami bit the inside of her cheek. 'I wouldn't know. I've… never really thought about it.'

That was the truth. She had obviously noticed that Hugo was very handsome but she had spent most of her time comparing him to Zoisite – who had also been handsome – and trying to work out if there were any differences. Perhaps she had taken a moment or two to admire how attractive he was but… that certainly hadn't been forefront of her mind. Now Kris had drawn her attention to it, she knew she would never be able to un-see it again.

'And who would Hugo be more likely to respond to?' Ami found herself asking. 'You or Dan?'

Kris burst out laughing, 'Neither. Hugo is very charming but he's pretty boxed in, if you know what I mean. He keeps himself to himself. I guess it's all the stuff he's been through.'

'Like the coma?' Ami asked.

'So you know about that?' Kris said with interest, but again the other woman said nothing. 'Yeah, there is the coma but just life in general. Anyway, it's not really my place to say but… yeah, don't hold your breath for someone like Hugo to look your way else you might suffocate. God knows I almost did when I first met him.'

Ami looked back to her study notes.

'I have no intention of asphyxiating myself over anyone,' she assured her study partner with a smile. 'But I am curious to know how you first met Hugo and Dan. You already seem pretty good friends.'

Kris tilted her head, 'Really? Well, I didn't meet Dan until Fresher's Week. Hugo and I met a bit before in summer school. There isn't much to tell, really.'

'And did you know about his…?'

'Coma? Sure, everyone knew. I think he took a liking to me because I didn't ask him about it constantly. Dan was the same. I think that's why he's taken you in too. Hughie hates questions about his past.'

Yes, Ami had already learnt that the hard way. She made a mental note never to push the issue again. It had been pretty nosey of her, she supposed. If Hugh had looked like an average Joe she would probably have been quiet as a mouse around him or at least wouldn't have stared as much. She just hoped that having been caught on the spot by him earlier hadn't damaged her credibility with him. Not that she should mind anyway; as long as he wasn't Zoisite, he couldn't do any harm to anyone.

'I haven't heard much about it,' Ami admitted to Kris. 'I would have been in Japan at the time when it happened.'

'Again, that's probably the appeal for him too,' the slightly older woman added then she quickly assured her, 'N-not that you aren't likable on your own. I'm just saying, you know, Hughie is a bit odd about picking study partners.'

Ami nodded, and decided to leave it at that. 'Speaking of studying,' she said slowly, 'shall we get back to it? The boys can't be too much longer now.'

Kris picked up her click-top pen and smiled, 'Sure. Let's.'

* * *

Hugo and Dan did eventually come back. After that the study session went like it should, cooperative work to help them take in all the information they had learned from examining Bernard. They went on in this vain for another couple of hours before bit by bit they began to part ways.

First, Kris decided to leave. 'We have an early lecture tomorrow and if I don't get at least nine hours sleep tonight, I'll be cranky. Goodnight, my darlings.'

They all murmured their goodbyes before looking to each other, wondering if they had better well and truly part ways.

'No point carrying on without Bel, eh?' Dan asked, glancing at Ami.

'I think I will stay in the library a little longer,' she told him, and then slowly looked towards Hugo, who still had his head down, writing. 'I'll probably go to the quiet study area and do some revision for tomorrow's lecture.'

'Good for you,' Dan smirked. 'Hope to see you tomorrow, Ms. Mizuno.'

She nodded as she gathered up her things slowly in almost silence. Once she was done she looked between the two young men. 'Good night, Mr. Bright,' she said to Dan, who gave her a pleasant little smile. Then Hugo looked up as she turned to say goodbye to him, 'You too, Hugo.'

He smiled tiredly. 'Don't stay out too late, Ami.'

'I won't,' she replied, smiling back.

Ami made her way towards the Silent Study room on the other side of the library, which was on the same level as the journals and archives. This meant she could kill two birds with one stone. She truly did want to do some revision for tomorrow but she also knew she couldn't relax until she looked information about Hugo's coma. One thing she kept wondering about was – why? Thousands of people slipped in and out of comas every day, so what had been so special about him?

First, she ran a search on the library computers to try a pin-point the case. One thing she knew about this university was its highly detailed and expansive collection of magazine articles, newspapers, journals and essays, as well as their unrivalled book collection, all searchable on the library computers – the height of technology. Every day new items were added to the library catalogue. With any luck, if this case was as well-known as it was implied to be, it would not take long.

Yet once she sat down in front of the computer, she felt too embarrassed to type in his name. Hugo Zehren. It was almost as if his name was taboo or she was scared he was looming over her shoulder, watching her every move. Her first instinct was to pussyfoot around the issue and type 'coma' into the engine. Naturally, it came back with more results than she could funnel through. The sidebar offered her a few refined options: 'coma case studies', 'comatose patients', 'coma symptoms', 'coma diagnosis', 'coma classification'… it took her a moment to get her head around them all. In the end she ticked 'coma case studies' and saw the results narrow significantly as did the sidebar suggestions.

Ami chose for the computer to focus just on journals and articles of case studies surrounding coma patients. It brought back a fair few results but upon narrowing the date range from "all time" to a five year gap suddenly her eyes were drawn to the result a couple of items down. It was a case dating from February 19XX that took place in the United Kingdom, the only one she could see from there. There were other cases from around the time – one in Canada, one in Australia, one in America – but this was the only one she saw that took place here, in England. All in all she found at least three possible leads.

Jotting down the locations of the said articles, journals and one newspaper clipping, Ami decided to very quickly check them out. After I do this, she told herself, I can forget about this forever.

She went through the articles first, it being the closest to where she was at that moment. She skimmed the long, long shelves of confusing categories and numbers before she finally located the files ranging between Jan-Mar 19XX. Pulling out the massively heavy red book, Ami decided to just sit down there on the floor to finger through the pages rather than drag it to a desk to read. Again, a part of it was the fear of being caught looking it up by Hugo or even Dan and Kris. In a weird way, it felt like a betrayal even though she had no reason to be loyal to them. She only fully met them today, for Serenity's sake!

Then she found it, the article written by some unknown medical writer. It read as followed:

" _Physicians and surgeons across Europe are stumped as a fifteen-year-old male comatose patient shows no sign of waking. The young man was found unconscious on a park bench in XXX. A thorough examination was conducted upon his arrival at XXX Hospital yet there was no apparent sign for the boy's state. His vitals are normal and he is currently being kept stable through intravenous therapy."_

Ami jotted down a couple of notes into her miniature computer, deciding to keep a comprehensive record of her findings. It seemed illogical to continue to distrust Hugo when he had done nothing wrong but she pressed on.

Next was the newspaper report. Understandably, the names had been blacked out but she knew just from skimming the beginning that it was referring to the same incident:

" _THE SLEEPING DEATH? XXX XXX, 16, continues to sleep on after a full year in a coma. Dr. XXX XXX, 52, who is treating the boy stated that his vitals continue to read normal – indicating that what young XXX is experiencing is not unlike a dream. 'His metabolic processes remain unchanged,' the doctor says, 'While medical intervention is needed to keep his bodily functions healthy they are not needed to keep him active; his brain is as lively as if he were awake and moving about.' According to his mother Dr. XXX XXX, 54, 'The reason for my son's state is a mystery to us all. I wish I could ask him what he went through before he fell into this state. I hope one day soon he will awake that I might still find out.' His father, Dr. XXX XXX, 57, a renowned neurosurgeon was unavailable for comment."_

This fit in with what Hugo had told her about his family – or had failed to tell her explicitly but had heavily implied – that his parents were doctors. That this patient's father was in neurology was especially interesting not least because he was a surgeon. It made her wonder if Hugo had thought about his specialty yet…

The last key piece of information was an extract from a much longer journal, possibly the one Hugo had alluded to, describing the moment the boy had woken up:

" _There was no outward change in the patient's vitals as they had continued to be strong as ever they were. At around eleven forty-two on the morning of 28_ _th_ _May 19XX, a few days short of his seventeenth birthday, XXX woke suddenly from his coma. His actions were harried and panicked, as if awoken from a nightmare. He initially appeared unable to make sense of his surroundings. When asked if he remembered his name, the patient's reply was vague. […]It was not until a few days later on 31_ _st_ _May that XXX finally seemed to regain his memory…"_

Ami tried to remember if any of those dates were significant but it was hard to off the top of her head. She decided she would correlate it once she got home. But now was enough. She seriously had to knuckle down and prepare for tomorrow while still getting home before eleven-thirty, have a shower, go to bed and wake up bright and early for tomorrow.

She checked the time on her watch. It was nine fifty-seven – plenty of time.

Grabbing the books she wanted quickly, she settled down in the Quiet Study area – completely empty but for herself – and tried her best to take in the chapters of ethics she had re-read at least four times so that she would not be caught on the spot by Dr. Roser tomorrow. She couldn't imagine anything worse than being made to look like a fool by the doctor she considered to be a mentor—

Suddenly, Ami felt a deep unease. It was a sensation like she had not felt for a while now, that gut feeling she always got when an enemy was nearby. Then she nearly had a heart attack when her Mercury notebook began to flash, warning her of danger. Despite being alone in the Quiet Study area she was still conscious of the noise it was making. She whipped it out quickly and tried to pinpoint the location of the dark activity.

It was right outside the library.

Getting up immediately, Ami pulled her transformation crystal from under her skirt and rushed down the backstairs towards where the evil energy was. She wondered whether she should transform straight away and surprise this wickedness or assess the situation first. Either way she was more than a little nervous. Never had she really had to face enemies all alone. She had always had her girls with her. While her attacks were not as weak as she had once feared, she would be severely limited if the enemy was immune to her Aqua Rhapsody.

As she neared the backdoors to the library, the alarm sounds became more frantic and Ami herself more nervous. Pen clutched in her hand, she burst through the doors to face the foe—

Then the alarm stopped and she saw nothing.

All around her was just an empty courtyard surrounded only by the library's many buildings, plant life and a couple of benches with cigarette bins beside them. The sickly feeling was gone. There was no enemy in sight, nothing to fear… and that made Ami all the more anxious. She scanned the area frantically to see if the energy had moved but no – it had just disappeared. 'That's illogical!' Ami mumbled frantically in her native tongue. 'What happened to it?'

She heard footsteps echo from around the corner. On edge as she was, Ami was poised to call on the powers of the Planet of Water. Her eyes were focused on the long-stretched shadow as it grew taller and taller in the moonlight, coming closer to her. Then it disappeared as the man it belonged to rounded the corner.

Ami sucked in her breath. Hugo!

He immediately caught sight of her before he cast a somewhat puzzled look around the courtyard before his eyes settled on her properly. 'How long have you been out here?!' he said in a strangely harsh tone.

She scowled, 'I just got here.'

'Huh. Then I guess it wasn't you then,' he mumbled.

'What?' Ami said, half-hearing him.

Hugo shook his head, 'Nothing, I'm just talking to myself. What are you doing still here? I'd have thought you'd have gone home by now.'

As hard as she tried to focus on him, she felt no evil energy whatsoever. Still, wasn't this an odd coincidence? That she would feel those feelings just before finding  _him_  alone near the place where it had been most potent? There had to be a connection, surely?

It was hard not for her to "snap" as she replied. 'I could say the same of you.'

'I like studying at night,' Hugo said nonchalantly. 'I guess you do too, huh?'

'I just like studying,' Ami said tartly.

He came closer to her. She held herself taunt and still. Yet she felt nothing wicked surrounding him. He was just… Hugo. The same guy she had spent the whole day with. All of a sudden she remembered her little side research into his possible background and she felt a twinge of guilt. That evil energy didn't come from him, Ami told herself. It was more than she secretly hoped it hadn't.

Hugo eyed her up a little longer before glancing off to the side. 'It's late. Come on, I'll walk you home.'

Her heart skipped a beat. Was this a trick?

'It's not far,' Ami began to say. 'I can go by myse—'

'I insist,' Hugo said firmly. His voice startled her, reminding her of when he had so plainly asked her why she was questioning him so much. He did not feel dangerous, though. Even if he turned out to be, she remembered as grasped her pen, she would give him one hell of a fight!

Ami conceded. 'If… it'll make you feel better.'

'It will,' Hugo nodded. 'I just feel it might be… dangerous.'

She tilted her head. If he hadn't caused the evil energy then had he somehow sensed as she had done? Perhaps that was giving him too much credit. If he was a normal civilian there was no reason he would have picked up on those readings, not least because he did not have the technology to pin point it; Ami knew she would have had trouble were it not for all her tech. Maybe it was just… human intuition? Either way it was kind of funny considering that if they were attacked by some evil entity, Ami would be the one protecting  _him_.

'Let's go then,' Ami sighed. 'I just need to get my things.'

Hugo nodded, and they walked back into the library, him closely following after her.


	3. ファントム - Phantom

Hugo was silent as he walked ahead of Ami towards the card barriers. The security guard smiled and bid them both 'good night', a friendly looking man whose smile indicated he had taken a liking to Ami. She kept her head down and tried not to make eye contact as she slammed her student ID card down against the scanner to slide through the spinning bars. Hugo was staring through the glass doors as heavy pellets of rain slammed against them.

'Looks like the weather's turned,' he observed, before reaching into his bag to produce a fold away umbrella. 'Good job I always come prepared. Did you bring one?'

Mortified, Ami realised she had not. She could picture it right there – leaning against the door post as she left that morning, thinking what a bother it would be to carry around that long, annoying thing, especially seeing as the weather report had said it would be nice all day. Yes, _day_. This was night time now.

Hugo tilted his head, reading her expression perfectly. 'No matter,' he said pleasantly. 'Mine's big enough for two – come on!'

Ami was certain she was blushing as he strode into the foyer and began to unwind the umbrella. Did he have any idea what he was asking her? No, probably not. Maybe that superstition didn't exist in Britain? She supposed there was no reason why it would. It was an odd little myth. Besides, the British were not especially known for being a superstitious people where ghosts, demons and goblins were believed to live in lanterns and trees. Beware of ladders and the number of magpies you see was as far as it seemed to go here. So, Hugo likely had no idea that sharing an umbrella was a symbol of romance and lovers. Glancing up at him, she realised that he literally had no clue at all; he had a confused look on his face.

'I won't bite, Ami, honest.'

Quite bizarrely, for reasons she had no idea of, she imagined him literally biting her. Not a painful bite, just a nibble on the index finger that would be holding the handle of his umbrella. As embarrassing as it was to envision Hugo doing such a senseless thing, it was also mildly amusing. She couldn't help but smile.

Hugo noticed her little smirk and took it as approval. He held out the umbrella for her to step under, ensuring that not a drop of water would fall on her head. 'Come on then,' he said jovially, pulling the hood of his hoodie over his head, 'it's getting pretty heavy.'

Ami quickly jumped from the front step of the library to underneath the umbrella, brushing close to Hugo's chest as the weight of the books in her bags propelled her a little further than she had intended. He said nothing about it, barely even noticing it. That was a relief.

'Thank you, Hugo.'

He smiled, 'Let's get moving – I think my boots are starting to leak.'

They started their walk.

'Maybe it's time for some new ones?' she suggested, smiling politely. On closer inspection they were a little well-loved, even if they were nice.

'Are you kidding?!' Hugo said with comical offense. 'These are a work of art! I found them while visiting my dad in Switzerland.'

Ami eyed them again, 'How long have you had them, anyway?'

'Like, five years or so…' he mumbled, thinking for a moment. 'I have them in rotation with four other pairs I got at the same time.'

'Four?!' she gasped. Her head snapped back up to look at him so quickly, it cracked her neck. It took all her willpower not to show her pain, 'W-who needs four pairs of lace-up boots?'

Hugo held his head high. 'If you want to make good things last, you need to rotate them with others equally and fairly.' His words were so haughty and firm that she wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. The tiny smile in the corner of his mouth indicated that he at least had a sense of humour but his tone was still dead serious. 'There were four different pairs that I liked – and would work – so I splurged once and made them last.'

She stared at him.

'Well, what was I supposed to do?' he chuckled. ' _Choose_?'

This is such an odd conversation, Ami thought. Still, she carried it on, 'What if you saw a fifth pair you wanted a little while after committing to those four you have?'

He scoffed playfully, 'Why would I be looking for boots when I don't need them?'

A fair question, one that Ami felt Minako was more suited to answer than she was. She very rarely went shopping. The only time she would ever be found mooching around the shops was if she was looking for books – or maybe odds and ends that she needed for one reason or another. Most of what she wanted these days were easily obtainable from the internet, like music. The only time she ever willingly shelled out money was for a good coffee in a nice café while she did some solitary studying. Everything else was either bought for her or in the company of others. Clothes were Minako's thing and Ami found she only got the motivation to buy them when she was with her.

'I don't usually shop,' she finally confessed, randomly, 'unless it's books… or something that I really need.'

'True that,' Hugo snickered, his choice of words not quite registering with Ami. Then he echoed her thought process almost exactly, 'I tend to get everything I need from the web anyway. Even then I get used books - no point shelling out for new copies. I already have to spend all my new book money on text books for my studies.' Ami nodded at that; med students couldn't get away with used editions of anything as medicine and science seemed to move faster than journals could print the findings. Hugo flicked his long strands behind his ear, 'Fiction books I always buy used.'

'Absolutely,' said Ami keenly. 'I use those websites all the time. Provided the seller is dependable, I'd rather get several used books than one new book.' Then she blushed slightly as she admitted something else, 'I tend to only look in new book shops to see what I might want to borrow from the library. Same with music.'

'Same with games and even films,' Hugo nodded. 'I have so many books that they take up too much space, so being able to borrow books or sell them on or, hell, even donate them to a used book shop is better for me.' He looked down and winked at her, 'I basically live in a wardrobe.'

She raised her eyebrows.

He laughed, 'Not literally. I mean, space wise.'

'Oh, of course,' she nodded slowly. 'I agree completely though.'

'I guess you don't get much space in Halls, do you?'

He meant the Halls of Residence, the student accommodation where Ami was staying. Many of the students in her particular halls were fellow overseas students. Despite having moved in since the end of August she had barely said anything to any of them. There were nine girls altogether and the only thing they shared was the kitchen. For less money, she could have lived in a smaller halls and shared a bathroom as well but her mother had been adamant that Ami should have her own facilities.

'I have one of the bigger rooms,' Ami finally replied. 'But a very small book shelf.'

'Bookshelf, eh? Classy,' he joked. 'I just have several towers of books: the oldest of which I have converted into a bedside table.'

'So you read a lot?'

'Sometimes I feel it isn't enough,' Hugo confessed. 'Every time I start a book, all I can think about is writing my own… but I just never get around to it.'

That piqued Ami's interest, 'Really? What would you write about?'

He shrugged, 'I have too many ideas to count. I'll never have the time, though. If I'm going to become a doctor, I need to put all my energy into that.' A short pause past, then he added, 'But I write some things in my spare times. Weekends and what not.'

'That's interesting,' she said quietly.

'Nah, it's not,' he quickly said. 'Not really.'

A silence went by once again as Ami took in everything she had just learned. She had almost forgotten about the rain coming down or even what direction she was heading in. Speaking with Hugo was surprisingly easy. It was eery how in tune he seemed to be with her. Another moment of doubt went through her head as she glanced up again at the face that looked so much like Zoisite. _But he_ _'_ _s not him_ , Ami told herself. _If Hugo was the enemy, I would_ feel _it!_ She barely knew him and yet her mind was crying innocence. She looked up again, focusing on the thin strand of fine, blond wavy hair that hung loosely around his face. _He_ _'_ _s very, very attractive, yes?_ Kris's words echoed in her mind. It forced her to look away as soon as she had remembered it.

'But have you ever wondered how we coped before the internet became a thing?' Hugo suddenly said, smiling.

Ami gave a nervous nod, 'Fan clubs and recycling shops, I suppose?'

'Good point. I actually know a couple of good ones here in London,' he agreed, looking back to her. 'That's probably the only time I ever physically buy anything. You can find so many first edition copies of great books tucked away in those places.'

'Really?' Ami asked keenly. Even she was surprised at how high her tone of voice was, how oddly excited it sounded.

It did not pass Hugo by either. 'I can tell you where they are, if you're interested?'

He equally seemed keen to impart the wisdom he had about used bookshops in good ol' London town. It made her feel fired up inside. 'I… would like that very much, thank you.'

Hugo looked away wearing the happiest smile she had seen from him so far. It told of a young man who rarely got to share this with anyone. It drew her in even more… and then she remembered. What had he been doing out in that courtyard? Shouldn't she be more suspicious of him after that little coincidence? Whether she felt the evil energy now or not, Hugo had been there in the centre of where it had been strongest. In reality, she knew she should be more conscious of this man who for all his niceness could still just be Zoisite playing a long game.

He was about the only Shitennou who had the wherewithal to pull it off.

But she did not _feel_ that way. All that hostility she had felt at different points throughout the day had melted away like ice exposed to the blistering summer sun. That was a good analogy too as Hugo seemed to radiate warmth. Like all people he had an aura and Ami sensed nothing hostile at all. Even Zoisite couldn't have hidden the void that had been his soul, the coldness of his green-eyed glassy stare…

It seemed wrong to compare them at all. Hugo was not Zoisite. He just… looked like him. That was the only doubt that remained. Why did he look like Zoisite? An older, twenty-year-old version of the boy she had met but still - he looked like _him_!

'Um,' Ami began, 'this may sound like an odd question…'

'"But what were you doing in the courtyard," right?' he finished for her.

He looked down at her with a face now completely tight and an eyebrow cocked. Ami couldn't help but smile at that little mannerism on display again. The sight of her smile seemed to soften him up a bit as it changed from a skeptical eyebrow cock to a mildly amused one.

'I was smoking,' he said simply.

'No, you weren't,' she challenged boldly, not even blinking as she did. He was clearly taken aback by it and it made Ami feel weirdly powerful. 'By which I mean,' she added, 'you weren't smoking when we bumped into each other.'

'Is that so, Penny Gadget?' Hugo quipped, making another reference that Ami did not get. 'Well, what were you waiting around for? The courtyard is a designated smoking area for students - and you don't smoke.'

'I asked you first.'

'And I answered. Now spill, babe.'

She blinked wordlessly at him.

His face melted into chuckles again. 'Nevermind. Look, here's the truth. I _did_ go out to smoke. Then I heard some noise and went to see what it was. Then when I came back, there you were.'

'What sort of sound?'

'I don't know, a sound. An unusual one that didn't sound threatening but warranted a look around. Didn't find anything though.'

It had been completely silent when Ami had arrived on the scene - but he could have been telling the truth. After all, why would he lie? He had nothing to gain from it and could just as easily have stuck to the smoking story and she would have to take his word for it—

And come to think of it, that was another tick in the "Definitely Not Zoisite" column. Somehow, Ami couldn't picture that girlie, caramel haired sixteen-year-old nipping off for a cigarette during a mission for the Dark Kingdom.

—Either way, she had no reason to doubt him. Not really.

'Satisfied, Miss Gadget?'

'What is that in reference to?' she suddenly asked.

'An American cartoon about a smart-arse little girl who solves crimes for her idiotic robot uncle.'

'How odd!'

'That's funny considering the stuff they put on Japanese TV.' He had a point there - Ami supposed every culture seemed odd to an outsider. Then again, Hugo was British so this "Inspector Gadget" wasn't exactly his culture either. 'Your turn - why were _you_ out there?'

Ami took a beat before answering. 'I wanted some fresh air.'

'See,' Hugo said, smirking.

'What?'

'If I really was lying, that's what I would have said too.'

She might have made a verbal "eep" once he said that had it not been for the genuinely amicable look on his face. It assured her, again, that there was no malice in his words. He was just… teasing her.

'But I really did need some fresh air!' _Liar, liar. He_ _'_ _s knows you_ _'_ _re lying!_ 'I had been studying for such a long time, after all.'

He shrugged, 'Okay, okay. I "believe" you.'

Ami scowled, 'Why are you so determined to trip me up?'

'Ha, I could ask you the same question!' Hugo scoffed. 'All I've done is be nice to you and all I see is your face debating as to whether I'm being genuine or not!'

How did he know that?!

He rolled his eyes when he presumably saw the look on her face, 'You really aren't good at hiding your thought patterns, Ami. You're clever as hell but God - you do not hide your feelings well.'

She looked up at him. 'How… are you so good at reading people?'

He eyed her before looking straight ahead. 'It's just something I've always been good at. When I was a kid, people didn't pay much attention to me so I spent all my time paying attention to them. Mum says I'd make a good psychiatrist but I can't think of anything worse.'

With that he suddenly stopped in his path and turned to look at her. Again for the first time in a while Ami became aware of the rain beating down on them. 'I don't know what this guy I remind you of did to you or said to you but… you shouldn't turn yourself into a one-woman inquisition—' he stopped, realising that was probably a word she didn't know yet (but she did so he carried on) '—when you meet new people. Like I said earlier, I don't bite.'

She believed him.

'I'm sorry,' Ami said, bowing her head in embarrassment. 'You must think me so petty.'

'I don't think anything,' Hugo said. 'We've only known each other a day! Let's just start from scratch here on out.'

Ami bit her lip hard. She could do that. She would prefer that. It was time to forget about Zoisite, the Shitennou and the Dark Kingdom. That was the old world and this was the new one.

She nodded, 'Thank you.'

They turned to walk on.

He smiled again, 'We all have our luggage, Ami.'

Yet another term she did not quite understand but she appreciated the sentiment, whatever it was.

* * *

_The sky was a gleaming blue and the wind felt cool against her skin._

_Sailor Mercury had never appreciated the beauty of planet Earth while staring down at it from the Moon Palace. Although Serenity would gaze curiously at it from her balcony every night as its reflective light filled the night sky it looked like nothing more than a pretty blue marble to her, hiding the natural beauty it contained beneath the clouds._

_Back then, Mercury had little interest in the beauty itself but more what it told her about the past of her own planet. Her civilisation was the oldest in the Solar System, older than even Queen Serenity's Moon Kingdom by as much as four hundred million years. Yet it had also been at least a one hundred million years ago since the surface of Mercury had been safe and habitable. Ever since the_ Comet of Dis _hit them and shred away half the planet's mass and its ability to maintain its atmosphere properly, ending the Golden Age of the planet. Even back in its heyday, though, it had never been like Earth. The vast majority had been uninhabitable desert, especially around the equator. The first Mercurials had appeared around the coasts in the north, living purely off the lakes. It was not until thousands of years past that they developed the technology that allowed them to finally travel to the south pole and colonise there._

_Resistance to radiation was a Mercurial strong point, yet even that could not protect them from the point where the sun light was most heavily concentrated on the planet's surface. Due to Mercury's slow moving days, it took the best part of a year for the Sun to move across the sky, and just as much time for it to rise again. At what the Ancients called"The Year of Sun", the Mercurial people would flee to the depths of the underground, carrying water with them. Their ability to master water was ultimately how their first Sailor Senshi became associated with the power. Even during the Silver Millennium, the legend of the Guardian Mercury as the "Bringer of Water" or the "Champion of Ice" was a deep rooted myth to those Mercurials who remained in the Solar System. Yes, remaind._ _They were by Earth standards an "endangered species."_

_But Earth was a very different place. Its days were short, very short. They were so short to the point of night being a frequent oddity. On Mercury, the days were closely tied to the years and thus they were the only two seasons they knew of. The Day and the Night. Once technology became heightened enough, the Mercurial people were able to create artificial daylight during "The Year of Stars" - the year in which Mercury was left in complete darkness. A few centuries later, they would be called upon by the Uniter of Civilisations, Serenity, to implement this technology on the Moon for the sake of the child-like Princess. To a true born Mercurial, however, the swift day-night patterns would have been deathly. Fortunately for Sailor Mercury, she had lived on the Moon or at Mariner Castle since her birth, both of which worked on Standard Luna Time - slower than Earth but miles faster than Mercury._

' _Apparently, humans cannot go more than eleven days without sleep,' Sailor Mercury noted on her supercomputer. 'Some can go no more than three before experiencing mental collapse, severe illness or even slipping into a coma. How counterproductive!'_

_Technology on Mercury had sped ahead every other civilisation due to their lack of need for sleep and the Hyper-spatial Sphere all home-born Mercurials had lived in for millions of years, which also allowed time to move slower for them. Every other planet relied first and foremost on magic but they had mastered both; Earth it seemed had mastered neither. At least, not on a massive scale. They had magic but very little else. A majority of lay humans could barely comprehend that their planet was spherical._

_Venus grabbed the supercomputer from Mercury's hands and snapped it shut. Her eyes rolled, 'Will you please focus on the matter at hand? WE aren't even supposed to be here. This is violating every rule in the book coming down here but we are here to scout out the Princess!'_

' _I apologise,' Mercury responded with a sigh, slowly opening her computer again nonetheless. 'But these humans are fascinating, don't you think?'_

' _They are just primitive versions of ourselves,' Venus shrugged. 'Another million years or so and they might be ready to join our civilised empire.'_

' _That's why they are so interesting! Looking at them gives us a great picture of what our ancestors were like before we learned to keep records. Haven't you ever wondered about the evolution of your planet?'_

_Venus folded her arms. 'Not really. Venusians are… quite different from Terrians.'_

_Female dominated society in which sex was for recreation rather than procreation and their princesses were born by throwing blood into the Niobe Ocean. Yes, Venusians were_ very _different from the people of Earth… or Mercury for that matter. From Sailor Mercury's understanding, there hadn't been a pregnancy on Planet Venus for over two million years now. Nonetheless females were still born with uteruses like humans were born with appendices. Odd._

' _Humans gestate their own children, don't they?' Mercury noted._

' _They haven't figured out a more practical way of doing it yet,' Venus chuckled. They wandered over the green hills that stretched as far as the horizon; only one little black spot to the north indicated any sign of civilisation. Venus scowled as she looked about, 'Where the heck are we, Mer?'_

_Mercury went to open her computer again but did not get a chance to check._

' _I'm going to scout the area,' Venus suddenly declared. 'You stay there.'_

' _But, how will you know where you're going?' she spluttered._

' _Ha! Don't worry I'm use my Serenity-sense to track her down,'_

_She could hardly argue with her commander, and watched as the golden-haired beauty wandered off towards nowhere in particular. Nonetheless, she seemed to know where she was going. She got a few yards away from Mercury before she span around and pointed towards a large green object that had caught her eye earlier. She knew what that was — a tree!_

' _Wait by that…_ thing _,' Venus ordered her. 'I'll be back!'_

_Ha! Well, Venus would struggle to recognise plant-life seeing as no Venusian has seen the surface of their planet for nine-hundred-and-fifty million years. They all lived on an elevated platform and floating balloon cities. Venus didn't even live in that - if she ever went home at all, she never left M_ _agellan Castle._

_The Mercurial Princess did as she was told. As she walked towards the tree in question, she looked around the scenery. The ground was covered in a lush green moss-like entity that she had never seen before. She bounced on it to hear it crush beneath her boots. She smiled curiously, they didn't have such things on her planet or on the Moon. Then she kneeled down to run her hands over it, even through her gloves it felt crunchy. On closer inspection it had little dry yellow strands mixed up with the ten shades of green. Mercury took a picture with the supercomputer. That was one for the records!_

' _It's called "grass",' said a youthful, well-spoken man's voice, clearly amused. 'And a bug is liable to fly up your nose if you stay like that for too long.'_

_Mercury quickly got up, feeling a little silly for having been on her hands and knees with her face close up to this land moss. She spun around to face him._

"Hugo?!" Ami said, confused.

The young man - indeed, Hugo dressed in the same outfit he had been last time she had seen him, right down to his well-loved boots - looked confused too, 'Ami?!'

…

* * *

Ami awoke with a jolt to find herself wrapped up tightly in her bed sheets, the world still pitch black outside her window but for the street lamp in the courtyard of her halls of residence. It took her a moment to remember how she had even got home. It had been another late night at the library, she had seen Hugo and she had fallen into bed almost as soon as she got home.

'Odd dream,' she muttered to herself. It was not the first time her current life mixed up with glints from the Silver Millennium.

She forced her eyes open long enough to looked over at the window. The rain had stopped but was still the middle of the night. Double checking her phone alarm was set for the right time, she settled down again and closed her eyes. Feeling calm, cosy and cushioned she could feel herself be lulled back into sleep, back into another dream…

A loud, unusual bong crashed through Ami's slumber.

This time she sat straight up, shaken to her very core. What was that? she thought nervously, too startled to even move. She couldn't speak. She wanted to be completely still and silent in case it happened again. Had she dreamed it?

Then she felt it again, that sense of wickedness flow through her veins. Before she could cry her transformation spell, she was once again frightened by a loud noise; the supercomputer's warning bell. She grabbed it from her bedside table and took a look at it. Immediately the map came up, showing her where the danger was.

The library, again.

No longer feeling tired, she pulled herself out of bed and walked over to the window. Swiftly she pulled it up, locking it in place. While it was more practical to just go out the front door of the accommodation building, it would be quicker for Sailor Mercury to hop over the rooftops. She threw her hand into the air and cried her words:

' _Mercury Eternal Power, Make Up!'_

Within the blink of an eye she was adorned with the uniform and power of a galactic warrior, done were her oversized pyjamas and they were replaced with the fuku that marked the Sol system Sailor Senshi.

No second thoughts in her mind, she jumped from the window and onto the flat roof of the security guard's post. She briefly wondered if he heard her land, whether he would get up and take a look before she jumped again and ended up balancing on the fence, then another leap took her to the top of a small block of flats. A few more blocks and she would be in the same street as the campus, and the library.

She landed in the carpark. The gates were closed but due to the open plan of the campus, she was able to run straight towards a garden area where the front of the library was located. Trouble was that she needed to get to the small courtyard on the other side of the building. Looking up, she realised she would have to hop over. Thank goodness adrenaline always kicked in when she was on a Sailor mission. Finding a location that could help propel her upwards, she made her way up.

The wicked power was so potent it felt like it had kicked her in the stomach. Swallowing hard she jumped up and up and up. Finally, she reached the roof, so she ran across to the other side to look over the edge to the courtyard. She rushed over, looked down and saw—

Nothing.

She swiftly brought up her Mercury goggles in order to properly scan the area. Unlike before when the sense of evil disappeared as soon as she arrived, it was now lingering. She knew there had to be a source somewhere. It allowed her to locate something tiny and dimly-lit sitting in one of the public cigarette bins. Taking one last careful look around, she made her way down into the courtyard. Landing with the grace of a cat, she approached the offending object. Removing her googles, she was able to see properly what it really was.

She picked it up.

" _Sailor Mercury… I was wondering if you would finally make an appearance."_

Startled, she span around and looked up. There on the roof top from where she had just jumped, a masculine figure stood. He was wearing a long, billowing cloak and hood that covered his face. He was slender and tall — not a part of him as visible aside from the mask he was wearing, which reflected the moonlight. A small mask, not unlike Tuxedo Karman.

Pocketing the object she had found, she scowled. 'Are you responsible for this dark energy?'

" _I had to get your attention somehow,_ _"_ the man replied. He made no attempt to move down and meet her. _"_ _The moment I saw you, I knew who you were. I could recognise your power_ _—_ _I just had to lure you out. So, go ahead! Do your little piece._ _"_

She raised her hand.

'I am Sailor Mercury, protected by the planet of Water and guardian of intelligence,' said the speech she knew so well. 'Dose yourself in water and repent!'

A brazen laugh rose from the man's chest. _"_ _Ha, ha! It has been many, many years since I heard those words. What would it be? At least ten millennia, I_ _'_ _m guessing?_ _"_

Her heart sank. 'Who are you?'

He said nothing, instead raising his hand. She poised herself for attack. Perhaps an Aqua Rhapsody would cool him off…? But, instead of calling on an attack, the young man pointed to the item she had picked up. She could practically hear his smirk. _"_ _Consider that to be my calling card. I_ _'_ _ve done all I sought to do tonight._ _"_

Without another word he spun around to leave. Mercury could not let him go so easy, 'Stop there, villain!' she shouted. Pocketing the gem she began the chase.

Making it onto the roof again, she saw the man fleeing further on. His agility of being able to jump over the roof tops as she had done told her immediately that this was no ordinary human being, but someone with great power like herself. The thought of it made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't see who the man was… but she didn't want to contemplate the possibility that it was who she _thought_ it was.

'Stop or I will attack!' she threatened.

The man hopped a little further on, then stopped to balance on a chimney. _"_ _You need to be more careful, Sailor Mercury. That crystal I left you is just a warning of what is to come._ _"_

' _Who are you?!'_

A long pause before he answered. _"_ _You can call me_ _'_ _The Phantom_ _'_ _. I am searching for something and you would do well not to get in my way. Don_ _'_ _t think of following me._ _"_

With that, he threw his cloak over his shoulder and continued on. For some reason, she obeyed him. Staying still she watched him disappear. Then, she brought out the item she had collected to see it more closely. It was indeed a crystal: a pretty, clouded and clear white gemstone. Even now it radiated the dark energy that had drawn her attention yet it seemed to be basically inactive. She realised then that this had been nothing more than a flare, a way to get her attention. Bringing out the supercomputer, she deactivated it. Now it was just an ordinary tumbled crystal.

She looked up again, eyed poised on the horizon.

Phantom, she wondered. Why _did_ you want to get my attention?


	4. 明るい - Crystal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split the original chapter, "Clear Crystal" into two parts due to it being so much longer than the other chapters. Thank you for understanding!

Ami didn't know what to think about the Phantom. Over the coming week she had expected to be sensing evil energy everywhere all over town, but nothing happened. It was frustrating because it made everything – including his possible identity – all the more nonsensical. It was confusing enough; a disguised man has access to dark magic and then purposely draws out a Sailor Senshi of the White Moon… just to gloat? Ami knew all too well that villains could be capable of unbelievable stupidity but flat out confronting her just to tell her not to interfere was nothing short of pointless and hammy.

Worse still, he was still out there hiding while Ami had no means of collecting valid data on him.

She wondered if it was worth calling on her girls for help – but what was there to tell? At this point, next to nothing. Until she had more data there was really very little reason to frighten them.

No, she would be quiet for now, go on with her daily rituals and keep an eye out. If the Phantom got up to something, anything, she would let the girls know immediately.

A few days after Ami's run in with the Phantom, the gang – that is Ami, Hugo, Kris and Daniel, if they could honestly be called a "gang" – met at Daniel's flat for their study session. They were invited by him during one of their Gross Anatomy sessions.

 _An odd thing to come up while one is peeling back the pectoralis major to observe the pectoralis minor and the ribcage_ , Ami thought.

'You haven't seen my new place, have you guys?' Daniel addressed Hugo and Kris, before turning to Ami and giving her one of his charming winks. 'And you haven't seen it at all… yet.'

Ami looked away, having the pliers to Hugo as he made to snap a small section of the ribcage to expose the internal thoracic artery. She hurriedly made notes, allowing Kris to take charge of the conversation. Her huge violet eyes fluttered amusedly at Daniel, 'Hmph, if it is anything like your old place we won't be missing much. You have hardly any furniture! Just a couple of cushions and a game console.'

'Hey, hey, we can't all be living with our mummy still like you, Christabel,' Dan retaliated lightly, and then he glanced at Hugo, 'Or living off the courtesy of our father like you, Hugh.'

Hugo made sure to make the snap of the next section of the ribcage loud, knowing how much Dan hated the sound. Sure enough, the blonder man winced slightly.

 _Good_ , thought Ami,  _He needs to get used to it now if he ever wishes to succeed as a doctor._

'So what'd you want us to meet 'round there for?' Hugo queried, not looking up from his work on Bernard's intercostal muscles. 'Play video games, I'm guessing? We are supposed to be learning to be doctors, you know. We can't be distracted by anything while having a study session.' He stepped aside to allow Kris to do the next part. Ami decided to just keep watching the dissection and make notes, though everything inside her wanted to keep looking at Hugo. She and Kris exchanged smiles – through their surgical masks, mind – and tried not to let the boys distract them. 'Do you even have a table for us to work at?' Hugo asked, making notes in his own notebook. 'Last time I went to your place, there were barely enough chairs.'

'I have a table!' Dan protested. 'I even have a sofa now.'

'Oh, moving up in the world, Danny?' Kris pipped up.

It seemed a little unfair to be mocking Daniel's lack of furniture. From just listening to the other two speak he clearly didn't have enough money to furnish the place himself. It surprised her that he hadn't tried to get a place in the Halls of Residence but – maybe his parents lived too close to the university. Ami had heard that could be an issue for some students.

'You might say that,' was all Dan said in response.

He had an odd look in his eyes as he focused his gaze on Hugo. For the first time since Ami had met him, Dan seemed to have a look of "annoyance" and "dislike" on his face. She tried to pretend she hadn't noticed as she continued muttering instructions to Kris as she did the dissection.

Dan forced a smile and slapped Hugo on the shoulder.

'Come on, mate!' he said jovially. 'Stop trying to piss me off and come over! I want to show it off. It's really nice, promise!'

Hugo sighed and pulled Dan's hand off, 'Fine. But it will be a study session and only if the girls agree too.'

They both turned back to Bernard.

'Excellent!' Dan said in triumph, and he looked wistfully towards Kris and Ami. Both purposely chose not to look up. For Kris, she was obviously out to tease Dan but with Ami… she wasn't sure why she felt a little uncertain. However, if the other two were going, she knew she would feel comfortable.

Yes, even Hugo. Their chat the other night had been surprisingly helpful. Tossing and turning over it in bed last night – trying to get what little sleep she could after returning home from her confrontation with the Phantom – she had reflected on what Hugo had said to her.  _"_ _I don't know what this guy I remind you of did to you or said to you but_ _…_ _you shouldn't turn yourself into a one-woman inquisition._ _"_  He was right. Thinking about it, there had to be at least another hundred people in the world who resembled Zoisite, and Hugo just happened to be one of them. Their natures were different, that was all that mattered. Ami could scan Hugo a thousand times and never find an ounce of darkness inside him.

He was Hugo Zehren, a nineteen-year-old med student who, at the age of fifteen, had a horrible thing happen to him from which he was lucky to recover. He was intelligent, witty and kind – a normal guy. Ami liked him and felt, in time, he could be a valuable friend. She just had to try and win back his trust.

'Well, ladies?' Dan said hopefully, 'Any takers?'

Kris looked up with that cat-like glance of hers. Every time she did it Ami imagined every man in the room turning into a twelve-year-old boy.  _The Maneater Stare,_  she thought she would call it.

'If Ami goes, I'll go,' Kris said. 'I'm not going into your place without another responsible woman at hand.'

All eyes were on Ami now. 'I'm happy to see your flat, Dan,' was Ami's immediate judgement. 'I mean, I'm sure it's… lovely.'

Kris scoffed and looked to Dan, 'That sofa of yours had better be  _comfy_!'

'Only the best for you, Krissy,' he flashed a grin.

With their plans for Friday night established, there was no excuse not to get back to work. Hugo made sure that Dan was next up for the reflection of Bernard's transverses abdominal muscles.

'Here you go, Danny-boy,' Hugo said with a tired smile. 'I have a rectus abdominis muscle with your name on it.'

Daniel pouted and took the scalpel from his friend, 'I'm on it. Don't worry!'

'Don't cut too deep,' Ami said sternly, surprised at her own tone. She then pointed to what Kris had managed to achieve with the layers of the transverses muscles, 'You want to make thin layers, like this.'

'Just focus on the interior margin if you want,' Hugo added. 'I'm interested in the abdominal muscles, so I would like to focus on practicing incisions into the abdominal cavity myself, if that's alright with everyone?'

'No problems, here,' Kris said.

'You'd just do the whole thing if we let you, Hugo,' Dan commented, beginning his contribution to today's gross anatomy session.

Ami, however, found herself focusing on the implication of Hugo's request. 'Do you… want to be a general surgeon, Hugo?'

He was making notes but he looked up to meet her gaze. His beautiful dark green eyes speckled with gold literally shone.  _He's very, very attractive,_  Kris's words rang through her head like alarm bells. Ami was resolute in not blushing as she detected the smile beneath his mask. 'It's early days,' he said. 'But I'm thinking about it.'

She glanced at his notebook. He had made notes on almost every aspect of today's session, more so than usual. She smiled. Just a couple more things that helped her understand him better. Hugo Zehren, nineteen-years-old, green-eyed, blond-haired, student of medicine,  _blah blah blah_ , wants to be a surgeon "when he grows up."

Daniel handed the scalpel back to Hugo, 'You go ahead and do it yourself.'

Hugo raised an eyebrow, 'You'll have to do something eventually, Dan.'

'And I will,' he promised, a smile creeping up on his lips again. 'We're doing the back today, right? Vertebral column, spinal cord – I'm all over that!'

'Are you interest in the back, Dan?' Ami asked.

He tilted his head, 'Very much so.'

Their gross anatomy session went on longer than expected that day, nearly six hours. By the end the four of them were starving and not at all put off by having stared at exposed human flesh for a quarter of the day.

'Provided I don't have to look a butcher meat, I'll eat anything,' Kris joked as she and Ami headed into the women's changing room to clean up. They were going to meet with the boys outside and head to the SU café for a bite to eat.

'Hope Dan didn't freak you out again, sweetie-pie,' Kris suddenly said as she removed her surgical mask.

Ami glanced up – Kris was quite a bit taller than her.

'Not at all,' she smiled. 'It's just his way, right?'

Kris hummed, taking off the surgical cap to release her glorious brown locks of hair. 'I guess so. Still, I'm glad you're coming with us to his place,' and she smiled meekly as she turned to scrub up. 'Frankly, you're the first female friend I've had in a long, long time.'

'Really?' Ami said, not that surprised.

'Girls don't tend to like me,' Kris replied. 'I guess I just have that look about me. The only female friend I have other than you is my mum.'

"Maneater Stare" shot through Ami's head again. Still, she smiled, 'Well, I like you. You're the first female friend I've made here in London.'

'Glad the feeling is mutual, then,' Kris chuckled. She pulled out some disposable towels to dry off her hands, 'And try not to take Dan too seriously. I know his antics can be annoying but… he'll settle down once he realizes you aren't going to sleep with him.'

Ami nearly sprayed water all over the mirror in front of them. Kris laughed. It was then they both heard a tiny little clatter against the floor. Both their eyes were drawn to the sparkling stone on the floor.

 _The Phantom Crystal!_  Ami gasped inwardly.

Kris bent down to pick it up, 'What's this, an earring?'

Although she knew the crystal was safe now, she had scanned it enough times to make sure, she still recoiled slightly as Kris's long, delicate fingers picked up the clear crystal to have a look.

'No, it's… just a tumbled stone,' she observed before holding it out to Ami again. 'I didn't know you were into crystal healing.'

'I'm not,' Ami said, quickly taking it back. 'I just found it. I forgot I put it in my top pocket.'

She had absentmindedly picked it up again that morning and pocketed it, not wanting to leave it on her desk lest it "mysteriously go missing." Years of being a sailor senshi taught her to keep her evidence close to her heart.

'Why did you think it was a healing crystal?' Ami asked curiously, putting it away.

Kris shrugged, 'Not many people would carry a tumbled stone for any other reason – what kind of crystal is it, anyway?'

'I'm not sure,' Ami admitted. Knowing the source, there was no guarantee it was even of this world. 'Like I said I just found it.'

'Huh,' Kris nodded, taking a moment to think. She then reached into her bag to pull out her diary, 'Here, if you're curious to find out what it is, visit my uncle's shop. If you tell him my name, he'll just check it for you.'

She handed Ami a pristine business card. "Darkstone New Age Shop" it read with an address embossed in silver lettering.

'Thank you,' Ami smiled. She was not sure if she would actually go but it was worth keeping in mind. 'I might head over there, then.'

The boys were already outside. With the surgical masks off and their caps off, for the first time that day Ami saw just how tired Hugo seemed to look. Underneath those lovely green eyes were noticeable grey patches that betrayed a lack of sleep. It was impossible for her not to stare, and when he caught her, she had to ask him straight.

'Are you OK, Hugo?'

He rubbed his eyes and forced a smile.

'Yeah, fine. Too much studying is all.'

'All you ever do is study!' Daniel said in a comically scolding tone.  _His_  eyes looked like two fresh olives in a martini glass.

He smirked at the girls, 'Come on then, my lovelies. Let's wake Hugo up with a nice big coffee and a toasted sandwich.'

Hugo made a slight approving grunt as he pulled out his roll-ups.

'Or, you know, if he doesn't smoke himself to death between here and the café,' Dan added, teasingly giving him another slap on the shoulder. 'Come on, Hugo. You really want to be doing that?'

'It relieves stress,' Hugo mumbled, placing the filter between his lips. Ami's eyes focused on that little white object before she realised what she was doing and hurriedly looked away. While he hadn't noticed her staring, he had noticed her hasty look to the side. 'You okay there, Ami?'

She nodded swiftly, 'Fine, fine! Let's get some food.'

'Words of wisdom, indeed!' Kris declared, linking arms with her. 'Come on, lads. Follow us.'

Ami allowed herself to be led along by Kris as she heard Dan and Hugo follow behind. When she got a chance to look back, she focused on Hugo as he smoked his cigarette aloofly, looking all the more lethargic. He caught her looking again and smiled wearily.

This time, she managed to smile back.

* * *

Getting into her room that evening, Ami found herself wondering what the girls were up to back in Japan.

They had decided after their second rebirth, after the battle with Chaos that they would live their lives in the moment, rather than as a massive countdown towards Crystal Tokyo… if it was still going to happen in this world, that was. None of them were sure what might have been altered as a result of Sailor Moon's choice to save her friends rather than let the universe flicker out silently. All they knew was that her final wish was for them to all be happy and, since then, Usagi had encouraged them to go out and "do their thing!"

It had been a while since Ami had a chance to video phone with all her friends together but she had managed to catch up briefly with Rei and Makoto on separate occasions. She knew the former was taking advantage of her father's offer to pay her way through university with the subject of her choice. She had chosen a Letters course focusing on Ancient Languages and Rituals – a good selection for a would-be High Priestess and proprietor of the family shrine.

Makoto on the other hand was working to save up money to open her first shop.

"I've decided to focus firstly on opening a bakery-café," she had told Ami, having gone through a well-structured business plan seemingly to seek her approval. "I feel if that is a success then I will be able to focus on the flower shop, as the turnover in the catering industry is faster although flowers are more lucrative. I think I need to make a name for myself first, though, so I'm working a couple of part-time jobs to try and network. Learn the tricks of the trade, you know…"

"It all sounds pretty complex," had been Ami's reply. "But it sounds like you have a good plan in place."

She had asked both her friends how the others were doing – Usagi and Minako.

It had been pretty hard trying to pin Minako down. Having just scraped into a course onto an Arts and Creative Writing course through a clearing progress – where undersubscribed courses lower their acceptable grades to scoop up more candidates – Minako was studying at the same university as Usagi, who had likewise had gone through the same clearing progress. For her, it was a way to kill time while she ardently waited for Mamoru to complete his study abroad in America. Unlike Ami, he would at least return to Japan to complete his studies but it was still hard on her.

"Minako keeps telling her, 'At least you're doing something you like,'" Rei had recounted to her when Ami asked after them. She had to get it second hand as Usagi and Minako always seemed to be asleep whenever she was free to call. She would have to get them on the weekend sometime. "Usagi's doing Textiles and Design, believe it or not. She's actually pretty good. Setsuna even had a look at her stuff and seemed to like it."

She went on to describe how Usagi, excited by all this praise, had now started to design wedding dresses already. "Made so many different looks there's enough for every single one of us twice over," Rei had mumbled. "She's currently making a regular dress for a project and Minako is her model. They took the measurements the other day and now Minako is under strict orders not to put on weight. Ha! Good luck with  _that_ , I said."

Ami did not have to ask how Minako was because she already knew the answer before Rei even said anything. She was still stuck at home with her nagging mother and deadbeat father, constantly being asked why she didn't get a part-time job so she could move out and start her life. She was barely able to scrape through her assignments…

It was tough for Minako. Very tough.

"She has to come up with some stories for her portfolio," Rei finished her Minako update on, "so if you have any ideas be sure to forward them into her."

The idea of Minako having to do anything regarding the written word was bewildering. She had always been more athletic than studious. Had Makoto not told her that Minako was also on the Women's Volleyball Team for the university her reason for being at the college at all would have completely stupefied Ami. Nonetheless she banked the request for "prompts" for Minako's portfolio – she was sure she could come up with some ideas for her.

"How is your course going, Rei?" Ami had tentatively asked.

"Hmph, fine," was the typically Rei-like reply. "I am enjoying the intricacies of studying the ancient Japanese and Chinese word as it is helping me understand archaic rituals – and the structure of my course allows me to continue working at the shrine. It is the 'letting father back into my life' aspect I am struggling with."

Of course, allowing her father to send her off for more studies had opened the door to him making requests of her, usually to accompany him to boring drinks or dinners with other politicians. This was not to mend bridges, to bond as father and daughter, oh no! – it was simply to show his beauty of a daughter off, to "whet the appetites" of several up and coming statesmen by dangling her before them as a possible prize.

"There's this one guy – Higashiro, I think – who apparently has this whiz-kid son than my father is really gunning for," Rei had spat bitterly. "I haven't even met this man and father is already dropping hints at what a 'coup' it would be for him to bag me the 'most eligible bachelor' in the Democratic Liberal Party. Utterly pathetic and I told him as such. He merely said that I should meet with this Higashiro boy before I completely dismiss him…"

She had allowed a heavy sigh to pass her lips at that point. "I'm starting to regret allowing him to take control of any part of my life. I… was an idiot to let him."

It was a situation that Ami had no answer to. She was definitely more romantically inclined than Rei was. There were times when it seemed obvious to all and sundry that Rei not only rejected the idea of marriage but downright  _feared_  it, found it  _repugnant_. For Ami, it had always been a possibility for the future that she neither sought out like Usagi and Makoto, nor outright rejected like Rei.

In a corny way, she was waiting for "The One".

But unless she happened upon the reincarnation of Albert Einstein, her requirements for a possible lover were pretty high. Even then she would imagine she would likely find it easier to have a "fling" with Mr. Reincarnated Einstein rather than be his wife – he had been a bit of a player, after all. Ami blushed and giggled at the thought.  _Not many people know that_ , she mused. Men who think are  _so very_ attractive.

_He's very, very attractive._

Ami threw herself down onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was silly to be thinking this way about Hugo when she had only known him for such a short space of time – and suspected him as an evil entity in disguise for a fair portion of it – but Kris's words just kept ringing in her ears. She hadn't even really noticed that Hugo was handsome until Kris had said it. Before that, she had mainly focused on his intelligence, his way with words and his resemblance to  _you-know-who_.

She closed her eyes. No more thinking about  _that boy_. It was not fair to Hugo to keep thinking about it –  _Hugo_  was his own person. She refused to think about it anymore, mentally banning herself from even thinking of the name "Zoisite".

Instead, she pulled out the clear crystal and the business card she had received from Kris. She had scanned this damned thing so much and couldn't find anything irregular about it. What had the Phantom's purpose been in leaving it for her, anyway?

The Phantom – he could still show up again. Perhaps he would leave more of these crystals lying around?

She looked at the business card again. It might be worth just popping in so see if the gem could be identified. Maybe.

Without trying to or even realising it, Ami began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

_During the Silver Millennium, everyone in the Moon Kingdom referred to the Planet Mercury as_ _"_ _The Dead Planet_ _"_ _. After Caloris hit, there were even those who called that tiny little corner of the Solar System a skeleton, a corpse, a_ waste of space _._

_Sailor Mercury had not been alive at the time of_ _"_ _The Darkest Day_ _"_ _when life on her home planet changed forever but the comments still cut deep. Millions had died in that impact and those Mercurials who survived to pass down the story to their children were a lucky few._

_It was hard belonging to a kingdom very few put weight in any longer._

_Sailor Mercury gazed up at planet Earth, her eyes focused on the top most point. It was so large, blue and cloudy. Just looking at that pocket of safety whirling in a sea of black, made her feel warm inside. It roused her curiosity and piqued her interest. It was not more beautiful than Mercury to her but it was different, starkly different._

_She could spend a life time exploring it and only barely scratch the surface._

_But her eyes were trained in one point of Earth in particular, a section of land very close to the North Pole and partly obscured by cloud as the planet tipped sideways towards the Moon. She wished she could get a better view of_ that _point._

_'I wonder what is going on down there right now...' she whispered._

_'Analysing Earth again, Mercury,' the familiar voice of Venus said. 'You'll end up like the Princess, at this rate and I have a hard enough time gathering her up from the surface without having to go hunting for you too._ _'_

' _I assure you I will only carry out my investigations into the blue planet while not on duty,_ _'_ _Mercury assured her leader. The two sisters-in-arms exchanged smiles before the Princess of Water turned to look at the planet again. 'It is such a fascinating place, though, isn't it? The sight of it is unrivalled here on the Moon._ _'_

' _Well, the Moon_ is _its satellite,_ _'_ _Venus huffed, staring up at it too._ _'_ _I imagine you would enjoy the view of Earth from my planet also, though._ _'_

' _Your planet is in the middle of its_ day _right now!_ _'_ _Mercury quipped, not looking at her as she spoke. She then added_ _,_ _'_ _As volatile as my planet is without the same solar shields my people erected here on the Moon, you c_ _an_ _at least see the night sky._ _'_

' _Yes, well, Mercury is nothing_ but _an eternal night sky,_ _'_ _Venus pouted._ _'_ _You don_ _'_ _t have an atmosphere._ _'_

' _And you have too much!_ _'_

_A long silence past before they both laughed at their_ _"_ _my planet is better than yours_ _"_ _match_ _._

' _I suppose neither of our planets are in the best of shape these days,_ _'_ _Venus sighed. The golden-haired demigoddess walked up beside her to look back up at the blue marble too._ _'_ _How does_ that _little ball manage to thrive so much better? Not too long ago Venus was just like that._ _'_

' _There isn_ _'_ _t a planet in the solar system that doesn_ _'_ _t look on Earth with greedy eyes, it seems,_ _'_ _Mercury mused aloud._ _'_ _I heard from Sailor Mars that her father wishes he could just sweep the humans away and move in himself._ _'_

' _Hmph,_ _'_ _Venus snorted._ _'_ _Earth has always been under the protection of the Moon. I would like to see him try._ _'_

' _It won_ _'_ _t be long before the humans will be intelligent enough to question our superiority over them,_ _'_ _Mercury_ _said, only half taking part in the conversation now. The rest of her was just voicing the thoughts in her head._ _'_ _Frankly, I think that day is nigh_ _._ _'_

_Venus tilted her head, 'Are you sure it is just the planet you are interested in?'_

_'What do you mean?'_

_'I think you know.'_

_There was a long silence as the two young women looked at each other. Mercury could feel her heart racing, her blood coursing and her cheeks tinting. It was a curious emotion, one she had never felt much before_ _._

' _Don_ _'_ _t worry,_ _'_ _Venus said quietly._ _'_ _I won_ _'_ _t tell anyone._ _'_

_She looked away from her friend again, muttering under her breath,_ _'_ _He is a thousand times more radiant than that Prince Endymion. So gentle_ _, intelligent_ _and very beautiful_ _…_ _even his voice sounds like a gentle breeze. I have never encountered anyone like him before._ _'_

_Venus nodded,_ _'_ _I see._ _'_

' _I-I haven_ _'_ _t besmirched the Law of God!_ _'_ _Mercury added hastily._ _'_ _Our friendship is pure. I wouldn_ _'_ _t dream of shaming myself_ _–_ _or him._ _'_

' _Good. Not only would breaking that most sacred law curse you but it would likely result in death for him,_ _'_ _Venus warned in a heavy voice._ _'_ _Not only is he bound by the Law of God but by his vows. It would be a pity to throw it all away, considering how young he is_ _…'_

' _I know!_ _'_ _Mercury said quickly._ _'_ _I know, I know_ _…'_

_Hearing those horrible words spill from her leader_ _'_ _s lips made them all the more painful. It was true that in the case of their Princess, she could be forgiven for her stupidity due to her youth and naivety; a Sailor Senshi should know better than to play dice with the law._

' _So make sure you are discreet,_ _'_ _were Venus_ _'_ _s final words. Mercury had looked up at her in surprise. She continued,_ _'_ _Provided no one else knows, then_ _"_ _God_ _"_ _won_ _'_ _t know either._ _'_

_With a heavy heart she looked up towards Earth again, towards the piece of land known as Europe_ _…_

_She closed her eyes and whispered his name so quietly even her ears were death to its sound._

* * *

Ami woke up.

Sitting up, she half expected to feel some form of dark energy as she had the previous night, but there was nothing. Checking her alarm clock, she was surprised to see that it was already four in the morning.  _Definitely past the_ _"_ _Witching Hour_ _"_ _but too early to get up_ , she lamented. So, she swiftly threw off her clothes into the washing basket and slipped on her pyjamas. She slipped the business card and the crystal into the breast pocket, worried that even though her window was locked, someone could still sneak in and steal them.

Then she settled down and returned to slumber for another two hours, this time utterly dreamless.

She awoke normally at her set time, got ready and began her day without incident. In fact, she had practically forgotten her dream but for a few minor details – mainly, the sight of the Earth and the point she (or Mercury) had been fixated on. Europe. It was almost as if Mercury had foreseen that her reincarnated self would end up there, as if she had passed down a curiosity with the continent to Ami.

Maybe Guardian Mercury was trying to send her a message but couldn't spell it out in words?

Either way, Ami had no time to worry about it now – she had an ethics class to get to and only a few hours to do some quick reading and get an essay ready.

_How could I have let that one slip me_ _by?!_


	5. 狡い - Crystal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ami and Hugo go on their first date while the Phantom makes his next move.

It was a long, long ethics class where many notes were made but none of it seemed to go into Ami's brain and stick. Although they all had different doctors teaching them, she considered whether it would be worth revising it in her next study session with Hugo and the others. She felt ashamed even thinking it. Ethics was a piece of cake compared to all her other lessons.

After the computer test was over, Dr. Roser excused them all. 'Have a good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Just leave your essays in the tray on my desk on your way out.'

Closing down the programme, Ami sighed as she fished into her folder to retrieve the said paper. She was abashed to admit to herself that she had typed it up just a few hours before class, having dedicated most of her precious free time to revise her  _Robbins Basic Pathology_  and  _Principles of First Aid_  all while going through her collective worksheets she had created with Hugo and the others for Anatomy. Even as she approached Dr. Roser's desk, she knew the piece she was handing it would be filled with errors in grammar and spelling. Fortunately, it was one of those situations where being a foreigner worked in her favour. Besides, none of them were on the course for their punctuation skills. As long as it made sense and had full-stops, it was passable.

'How are you today, Miss Mizuno?' Dr. Roser immediately asked as Ami handed in the essay. 'Finding your way around all right?'

'Yes, thank you, doctor,' Ami said politely.

Dr. Roser was unique among the many teachers and lecturers she had encountered because she always seemed to talk to her, and the other students, as just that - pupils. Often many of the other doctors Ami encountered would natter on and on about things that were better suited to junior doctors rather first year medical students. She also had a generally more approachable persona - a soft face with defined cheekbones, mousy blonde hair and inviting hazel eyes - motherly, really.

'What's on the agenda this afternoon?' Roser suddenly asked.

'Oh, um, pathology,' Ami replied quickly. 'I share it with several members of my Gross Anatomy class so that offers excellent consistency.'

'Well, I'm glad you're finding it agreeable,' the doctor smiled gently. 'It is never easy settling into a new environment, especially one in a foreign country.'

'Everyone has been very kind,' Ami assured her.

That was a fact. Everything Hugo had said to her the other night had all been true. Not only had he been nothing but nice to her but so had Kris and even Dan in his own unique way. Even though her motives for getting to know them had been anything but honourable, it had proven to be the best thing she could have done in London.

Dr. Roser gathered her satchel up and pointed towards the door, 'I am heading towards the pathology labs as we speak. I'm sure you want to get some lunch first but would you care to continue our chat?'

She bowed her head politely, 'I would be delighted.'

They continued on their way, talking mainly about the university building, a few snags that Ami had encountered during the ethics class - mainly relating to certain terminologies that differed slightly to those used in Japan - and even briefly touching on Roser's own time as a student of medicine.

'I studied here, if you can believe it,' she chuckled. 'Thirty years later and it feels like I never really left.'

She knew that Dr. Roser had not always been a teacher at the university. Having researched her before her interview, she had learned the good doctor had been in internal medicine for most of her life before moving into a female specialty where she became an administrator. That led her right back to the university as a teacher a few years ago, following what appeared to have been the breakup of her marriage. Of course, Ami made no mention of that.

Dr. Roser looked away from Ami before stopping suddenly, seeming a little surprised to see who was approaching her.

'Hugo?' she said quizzically.

Ami's head turned so quickly it almost snapped. Indeed, it was her Hugo. Serenity's sake, was he already  _her_  Hugo?

He was straight faced as he looked Dr. Roser in the eye.

'Sorry to interrupt, just looking for Ami.'

She felt a hot flush creep across her cheeks.

'Oh, you know each other?' Dr. Roser said surprised, looking between the two.

'She's in my study group,' Hugo said plainly, almost rudely, like the presence of Dr. Roser irritated him. It was a little surprising as this was yet another side of him that Ami had not yet seen. 'I'm sorry,' he then added, 'are you in the middle of something?'

'No, no, just talking,' Dr. Roser assured him. She then looked to Ami and smiled politely, 'I'll leave you two to it, if you'd like.'

'You don't have to…' Ami quickly said, feeling as if she were a part of Hugo's moody behaviour. It wasn't just his discourtesy either - he had the same noticeable dark patches under his eyes.

'No, no,' the doctor assured her. 'I must be getting. Have a good afternoon, Ami. I'll hopefully see you later, Hugo?'

He folded his arms and forced a smile, 'I'm sure you will.'

Dr. Imogen Roser did not seem remotely bothered by Hugo's attitude and continued to smile as she walked on, leaving Ami alone with "Mr. Moody". She was naturally perplexed as to what she had just witnessed; one of the oddest and tensest interactions for a long time.

She turned to Hugo.

'Did I miss something? Weren't you a little too… curt with Dr. Roser?'

He glanced down at her, smiling a little softer now.

'Sorry. She just gets on my nerves a bit.'

'Why? She's nothing but pleasant to me,' Ami protested.

He tilted his head, 'Doesn't  _your_  mother annoy you sometimes?'

That hit her like a ton of bricks.

'M-mother?' she spluttered. 'Y-you mean Dr. Roser is your moth—?'

She looked in the direction she had walked off in and then back at Hugo, who seemed to have woken up slightly from amusement. 'I… didn't realise. You have… different family names.'

'She uses her maiden name. Always has.'

He seemed completely lost in thought as he said those words, as if he had said something more poignant. Ami couldn't help but smile at the expression on his face, so distant and thoughtful; his was a mind always thinking. He then glanced down at her, catching her staring. She hurriedly looked away, hearing only his light chuckle.

'I was genuinely looking for you, Ami.'

Her head snapped up again, 'O-oh?'

'Yeah,' Hugo said. 'I was thinking about the other night, how you were interested in my showing you one of my haunts…'

'Haunts?' Ami repeated, confused.

'Ha, yes,' he smirked. 'It's a slang word for "favourite place", in a way.'

'Oh, I see. What about it?'

'Well, this campus isn't too far from one of them,' he went on, clearly trying to sound suave as he spoke. Nonetheless, Ami detected a slight crack in his voice.  _Was he worried about something?_ she wondered. Then she made a realisation, which caused a blush to rise to her cheeks.  _Is he trying to ask me out?_

He finally got it out: 'Fancy grabbing coffee?'

She stared at him. 'Are Dan and Kris going to… be there?'

'No,' he said quickly, bluntly and yes,  _nervously_. 'I just wanted to ask you. You were the only one who seemed interested in seeing it.'

Ami could tell that latter part was probably a lie. She reckoned he had never even suggested going to this place with Dan or Kris. He was only asking her and had no intention of asking anyone else. It didn't matter anyway; she knew she was going to say yes. There was no reason not to, after all. Besides, despite how nervous she felt she was also intrigued. If anything she felt a tinge of genuine  _excitement_. Plus, there were no itchy rashes breaking out anywhere on her body – a very good sign! The moment she realised this she bit her bottom lip and clutched her hands against her chest. As soon as she did this, she knew she had no chance of hiding how flustered she felt.

Hugo seemed to notice too and he looked away awkwardly while clumsily running his hand through his hair.

'You-you don't have to if you don't want to, Ami…' he said slowly.

'N-no,' Ami said quickly. 'I-I would like to, very much. I have time.'

'Y-yeah?' Hugo asked hopefully, seemingly satisfied when she nodded back. It was yet another side to him that she was meeting now. Her curiosity, as well as a few other things, were piqued. 'Okay, then! Like I said, it's not far…'

She smiled and followed beside him.

'If anything,' he added, 'you'll wonder how you've been missing it all this time.'

After some light conversation about their previous classes and whether they were still up for Daniel's place that weekend, Hugo led Ami down a side street just off the one where the campus was located. They didn't walk far before he stopped them in front of a nook of a café with painted blue pillars and sign that read,  _Tile Café_.

Hugo held the door open for Ami and she stepped into the dimly lit yet cosy little place. As if fortune had seen them coming, there was one small table vacant. Despite being reasonably out of the way, the café was well populated with groups of up to four fellow students crowded around the other tiny tables. The scent in the air was rich and fruity, reflective of the coffee beans the place likely used. There was also the distinct taste of cinnamon in the air. Glancing over at Hugo, she caught him sniffing it.

He immediately set his bag on the back of the chair and turned to her, 'What're you having?'

'Oh, I'll get my own, it's fine,' she replied quickly.

'No, I want to get the "first round", as it were,' Hugo chuckled, and he pointed to the opposite chair to the one he had picked. 'Besides, you need to sit here and guard the table.'

That was a good point.

Ami nodded, 'I'll just have a Chai Latte.'

'Righto,' Hugo said, and almost skipped towards the bar.

She watched him as he stood tapping his fingers on the counter, speaking to the barista. They clearly already knew each other as the woman in questioned smiled when she saw him. Ami saw her flick her peroxide blonde hair over her shoulder each time she turned to speak to him, perhaps even flirting with him. It actually made Ami's heart sink a little – and it surprised her how disappointed it made her feel.

However, she immediately felt a little better when Hugo came back with the coffee and smiled upon making eye contact with her. Ami returned the smile.

'You seem very popular with the people who work here,' she said without thinking. She felt like kicking herself and glanced over at the woman behind the bar. To Ami's surprise, she was looking over at them with a slightly amused smile. This confused her, and that prompted Hugo to glance over his shoulder.

She picked up her cup, blowing before the first sip.

'Do you... know her well?'

Hugo turned back and winked, 'Only since birth... she's my sister.'

Ami nearly blew bubbles it took her so by surprise. Looking back, it seemed pretty obvious now. Not just the blonde hair, either, they had the same nose and bone structure. That woman being Hugo's sister was even more obvious than Dr. Roser being his mother.

'I thought all your sisters worked in the medical profession,' Ami said in awe. 'How does she find time to work?'

'Oh, don't get me wrong,' Hugo shrugged, taking a quick drink now. 'I'm certain she hasn't slept in days she needs the money, since she and dad had a falling out.'

Ami decided not to ask for details because it seemed rude. Nonetheless, Hugo offered them pretty quickly, indicating that his elder sister's predicament was no secret to anyone. He probably caught her looking over at her and felt the need to off load as many facts as possible.

'Dad disapproves of her choice of speciality and refuses to support her further studies.'

'What does she want to get into?'

He paused for a moment, 'Shrink.'

Ami blinked, 'Excuse me?'

'I  _love it_  when you're all confused,' he smiled mischievously, inducing another blush from Ami. He continued, 'Psychiatry, she wants to work as a doctor of the mind.'

'What's wrong with that?'

'Dad has this idea that psychiatrists are for people with more money than brains,' Hugo said bluntly. 'Yeah, he's a neurosurgeon so he thinks that joke is  _very_  funny. Plus, it's a hard area to get into and he feels that with her qualifications, Helen would be better suited to obstetrics like our sister Audrey. Bottom line is this – women are best paid in paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and the demand for the latter two means she'll be likely to find work.'

He paused to look at Ami, who was listening with interest. It was odd to get such a quick insight into his family relations and life. One thing did spring into her head, though: what did Dr. Roser make of all of this?

'I know what you're thinking,' Hugo sighed. 'What does mum have to say about all of this?'

_Reading my mind again_ , Ami thought.

'Not a lot,' he went on. 'She won't speak to dad about the issue but doesn't have the money to help Helen herself. It's a crappy situation but – ah, damn it all!'

He grabbed his coffee again and took a quick sip.

Ami nodded towards his sister again. 'She seems cheerful though.'

Hugo looked over his shoulder; she was smiling as she chatted with another customer. He turned back, 'She's good at it, sure. I just hope I never get on the wrong side of dad.'

They both took another sip, looking at each other over the rims of their cups. Ami smiled again, 'It's funny. I've effectively discovered two members of your family within half an hour of each other.'

'Two more sisters and you'll have bingo,' he joked.

Ami didn't get the joke but she laughed all the same.

She placed her hand on her heart, feeling its quick beat hammering away beneath her palm. That was when she felt it, the Phantom Crystal she had found and the business card Kris had given her. Looking up at Hugo she decided to keep the Crystal to herself – she doubted he would have anything to say about it anyway – but she pulled out the card to look at it again.

Hugo noticed immediately, 'What's that?'

'Kris gave it me,' Ami replied, handing it over for him to look at. 'Apparently it's for her uncle's New Age shop.'

'Uh-huh,' Hugo hummed, sounding skeptical. 'I didn't think you were the type of person for all that stuff.'

'I'm not,' Ami said. 'But I have something I want to get checked and Kris thought her uncle would be helpful.'

He nodded and looked at the address. 'Well, I know the area. It's not far from here, actually, and it's a pretty decent shopping area for all the Hippie, Wicca and Witchy stuff you could want.' Then another sip of coffee later, 'I'll go with you, if you'd like.'

Ami's eyes widened. 'I don't want to be too much trouble.'

He smiled, 'No trouble. As a matter of fact, there is a decent health food shop there so I could always pop in there, if you're worried I'd cramp your style?'

She bit her lip. 'Um… well, if you'd like to come?'

'Sure,' Hugo said, his smile widening. Barely through the first coffee and they were already planning their next venture out together.  _Was it too soon to call it a date?_  Ami decided not to think about it. He continued, 'We won't have time today due to lectures this afternoon but how about this weekend?'

Ami immediately agreed, 'OK, great!'

'We could go before heading over to Dan's place,' Hugo suggested. 'It'd be a decent way to kill the morning.'

They finished their coffees and checked the clock. There was plenty of time for another cup and a slice of cake even. Ami got up this time. 'Would you… like to go splits on a blueberry muffin? I'm a little hungry…'

Hugo smiled. 'Sure, I'm a bit peckish—um, I mean— _hungry_  myself.'

He handed her some money.

'No, it's my turn,' Ami said quickly. 'You got my first coffee after all.'

He sighed, still handing her some of the coins. 'Well, at least take some for half the muffin? I'd feel bad otherwise.'

Hesitantly, she took them, knowing he wouldn't withdraw them until she took them. So, she headed up to the counter, ready to have a look at this sister of Hugo's herself.

Up close, Ami could see very clearly the biological resemblance between the two. While Helen had clearly bleached her hair and washed some blueish dye into it, the roots were showing up as the same buffy-blond that made up all of Hugo's hair – right down to the slight reddish tinge. Her eyes were different, though, hazel rather than green.

_Just like Dr. Roser's_ , Ami observed.

She didn't seem too perplexed or disturbed when she finally turned to take Ami's order and saw her staring.

'Same?' were Helen's first words through a pink smile.

'Huh? Oh, you mean the coffee? You remember?'

'You're with Hugo, right?' Helen replied, already turning to the coffee machine to begin her work. She looked over her shoulder, cheeks shining brightly. 'He always gets the same thing. I'm guessing he's already told you – I'm his sister, Helen.'

'Yes, he did say,' Ami nodded respectfully. 'I'm Ami Mizuno but… please do call me Ami, if you'd like.'

'Thank you,' Helen said, seemingly aware of the custom surrounding given names in Japan. She continued to make the coffee. 'You're the first girl Hugo has ever lured back to this place – congratulations!'

'Lured back?' Ami muttered.

'Asked out for coffee here,' Helen clarified. 'Usually he just sits at a table all by himself reading or writing.' The pretty blonde – probably about twenty-two – pointed to a small alcove behind her. 'We have books on sale back there too, so feel free to check it out.'

Ami glanced in that direction, remembering how Hugo had mentioned his favourite spots tended to be the places that sold books. That this place sold coffee too probably made it the Holy Grail. She wondered if they had an outside bit for smokers – Hugo would probably want to be buried in the place if it did.

Helen placed the coffees down, 'Anything else?'

'A blueberry muffin, please,' Ami said, remembering the coins in her hand.

'Sure thing,' Helen said, pulling one out from the glass guard and placing it on the tray with the coffees. 'You can have the muffin on me.'

'S-sorry?'

'I get to give out a free one every week,' she chuckled. 'Think of it as a celebration of my brother actually  _socialising_  with someone for once.'

'But I couldn't,' Ami began, looking down at it. 'It's your one free muffin.'

'I don't mind,' Helen assured her. 'No one ever comes in here that I like enough to give it to anyway.' She then winked, 'Nice meeting you!'

Ami felt another blush spread across her face as she returned to the table. Hugo was checking his phone when she got back and placed the tray down. She handed him the change for the muffin back, 'She said this was her weekly free muffin.'

Hugo smirked, 'Nice! I'll have to bring you here next week too. It'll save Helen wasting those muffins on hot guys who won't appreciate it.'

She smiled as she sat back in her chair.

'Your sister is very nice,' was all she said.

'She's alright,' Hugo nodded, cutting the muffin in half. There was a slight size difference, just ever so slightly. He turned the bigger half to face Ami – a gesture that did not escape her notice – before he went on. 'There are worse sisters in the world and I'm lucky to have ended up with three pretty decent ones.'

He took the first sip of his new coffee. 'Any siblings yourself?'

'No, just me,' Ami replied. 'Most of my life it was just my mother and me, and she was usually at work so I spent most of my childhood alone.'

'What about your dad?'

'He and my mother divorced when I was little,' she said simply, thinking back to that time. It was a sad memory of her father walking out the door, his back to her as he muttered the words: _"Be good, Ami. Remember to be a little girl sometimes."_  Then he was gone, usually only communicating now and then via paintings with no letters attached to them. 'He's a painter. Very talented but he had very little in common with my mother, who is a doctor.'

Hugo hummed, listening carefully. 'My parents broke up when I was six. In their case it was my dad never being there, full stop. There was no other woman involved or anything – I don't think dad has even had another woman since he broke up with mum – he was just work obsessed. Aromantic and asexual… it's a wonder he managed to produce four kids.'

'I see,' Ami said, then smiling. 'See, my dad hasn't had another woman either… although for  _completely different reasons_.'

He tilted his head, as if trying to translate the meaning. It was then he finally twigged, eyes widening and mouth dissolving into small laughs that he tried to keep back.

'O-oh is that so?' Hugo spluttered, covering his lips. 'So, your dad is…?'

Ami inclined her head to the side. 'He's never told me outright, mind you.'

'I see,' Hugo nodded, now having full control over his smile. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to—'

'No, it's fine,' she assured him. 'It  _is_  quite funny. But to tell you the truth I hated my father for leaving my mother when it happened. It always felt like he had abandoned us. He  _did_  abandon us.'

'I know what you mean,' Hugo agreed. 'My dad has been dodging tax in Switzerland since he left my mum too. He's always been fair to us – well, to an extent if you consider Helen's situation – and paid for our school, hobbies, my… medical treatment,' he paused as he looked at Ami, who offered him a sympathetic smile, 'but the fact he was never there infuriated me more than anyone. It was tough being the only boy in a family full of women.'

'You turned out well,' Ami assured him.

'Thanks,' he sighed. 'Yeah, mum gets on my nerves but she's always been fine with me. It was Audrey who did most of the raising, well, her or the boarding schools – now  _they_  were a killer!'

'I've only ever been to regular state schools,' Ami admitted.

'Well, if you have kids one day, don't send them to boarding school!' Hugo told her, smirking as he did. 'The way my family solved my "only boy in the family" problem was to send me to an all-boys boarding school. It was so awful, I slipped into a coma just to escape!'

He laughed despite himself, causing Ami to chuckle too.

'Sorry,' he added. 'That joke was a little tasteless.'

'It shows you have a sense of humour about yourself,' she promised him. Then she blushed as she added, 'I…like that about you.'

That seemed to really perk Hugo up.

'Thank you.'

* * *

It had been a long day for Ami when she finally got home. She had stayed with Hugo at the café for as long as they could without being late for their pathology class. It was one they shared with all the other students, so they had headed over to the hall together and met with Daniel and Kris there. Much to Ami's relief, neither of them questioned why the two of them were already walking together and the usual banter continued.

Daniel was adamant that his invitation for that weekend was still on. 'We'll study and then have some fun times,' he said gleefully. 'That is… if Hugo lets us.'

'Provided we do get some studying done, I'm fine,' Hugo reaffirmed.

Ami was actually looking forward to this meet up. It was starting to fill her social calendar for the weekend quickly as she planned to try and call some of the girls too to give them a catch up. Even if she had nothing to say about that crystal or the Phantom, the least she could do was check-in.

Come five o'clock everyone seemed ready for an early night.

Despite seeming fine while they were talking earlier, Ami noticed again that Hugo seemed especially tired. 'It's been a long day,' he told them all through a yawn. 'I'm probably going to do a quick drop in with Bernard and then head home.'

'Ugh, why are you going to the anatomy labs so late?' Kris asked, obviously a little creeped out.

'God, Kris, it's not like Bernard is going to rise up and kill me,' Hugo replied. 'I want to double check a few of my notes – we have an analysis essay due on him and I want to focus on the…' he yawned through his words, making them inaudible. No one cared anyway at this point.

'Well, I'm off home,' Kris declared, turning to Ami, 'Fancy walking with me?'

Her train station was in the same direction as the Halls of Residence, so it made sense.

'Sure,' Ami smiled.

She turned to say one last good night to Hugo and Daniel. The latter gave his typical boyish grin while Hugo's was a little more understated. For whatever reason, they wordlessly decided to keep their one-to-one to themselves. It had probably been nothing special, anyway, but it was fun having a mini secret.

The conversation between her and Kris was fairly light too, mainly about the lesson they had and what their respective accommodations were like. Ami tried to avoid her fellow flat mates most of the time as they were all pretty bland, uninteresting people. Besides, when they did bump into each other there was only ever an awkward silence as they tried to make small talk that never really got off the ground.

They parted ways at Kris's station and Ami crossed the road to walk the short distance to her residence.

She grabbed a bath, washed her hair and was in bed well before ten o'clock just reading. It felt nice to have an early night for once. By half past ten, she was starting to feel tired and decided to turn in. Placing the book to the side of her pillow, she turned off the bedside lamp and closed her eyes hoping sleep wouldn't be too far off.

_I wonder if I will have another dream about the Silver Millennium?_  she wondered.

Being there in bed, in the darkness, it helped bring the dream of the night before back to her. Sailor Mercury had been talking about a person – who sounded like a man – while Venus warned her about the risks of getting too close to a mortal human.

_Why am I only having these dreams now?_  Ami asked herself.  _Never have I really had them before, have I?_

Truth was she couldn't remember very well.

Ami imagined she must have dropped off as she started awake suddenly, like when someone has the sensation of falling. That was when she felt it again, that dark energy. It was close too. Too close for comfort—

She reached into her pyjama pocket and pulled out the tumbled gem again. Although it was faint, she could distinctly feel the aura oozing off it. The stronger sensation, though, was coming from a distance outside her window. As if by magic, her supercomputer's alarm went off again and she scrambled for it to shut it off, conscious that her flat mates could hear.

Opening it quickly, she ran a scan to see if she could pinpoint where the source of the energy was coming from this time. However as soon as pulled up the local map, the screen distorted, as if hit by some form of electromagnetic interference.

Ami looked at the crystal.

'Damn it!' she cursed. It was screwing with her technology. That was how she knew it had to be powerful.

There was nothing else to do other than transform. She climbed out of bed and raised her hand… but hesitated slightly. This was almost certainly the Phantom at work. He had said he was looking for something and that she should not interfere. It was not fear of what he might do to her that made her wonder but what he might do to others.

'There's nothing else for it!' Ami declared under her breath. 'I have to go. Perhaps I'll learn something useful…'

Hand outstretched, she called on the power of Mariner Castle.

' _Mercury Eternal Power, Make Up!'_

Jumping out the window, she stopped on the roof top of a short block of flats to try and get her bearings. The supercomputer was still producing nothing but static. Best guess was that the dark energy emitting from those different points were confusing her computer. Either way, she would have to rely on her natural senses

_Perhaps if I deactivate all the points I will be able to locate the transmission that is keeping them going_ , Mercury reasoned to herself. She already began trying to locate the first on before she even had time to consider any down sides to this plan.

The first one was in a fairly discreet area, hidden behind a rubbish skip. It glowed pink in the dark. Being close to the object stopped the interference long enough to for her to deactivate it. As with the crystal she already carried, it was reduced to nothing but a cloudy grey-white crystal.

She pocketed it and searched for the second one. Taking a quick hop up the wall of the line of shops the first was found, she located a second. This one was hidden in a rubbish bin four blocks over not too far from where Mercury had first confronted the Phantom - just a little way away from the library. A thought dawned on her the moment she deactivated it.

_They are all within a kilometre of the university campus_.

The signal was much weaker now and Mercury was able to better locate the final one, which made up a triangle of dark energy. She went after it without hesitation. Even though she knew it had to be close to her, she was surprised when she finally landed in the spot.

'The gross anatomy labs?' she muttered out loud.

This one was just sitting on the roof top of the building for all the world to see. She knew this was an easily accessible area. Very often this refuge place was used by the smokers in the gross anatomy class to nip out for a cigarette. In fact, Mercury was pretty certain that Hugo, Dr. Finley and one or two others had popped up for a quick one during lab when their drive for nicotine was too powerful.

As she went to pick it up, though, something hit her.  _Hard_. Painfully on the wrist.

'Agh!' she was unable to stop from screaming the pain was so sudden. She instinctively rolled away from the crystal and looked up to find her attacker. There, hidden by the shadow cast by the moonlight against his back, was the Phantom again. Still unrecognisable.

_'I told you not to come,'_  his voice boomed.

Mercury gripped her wrist and looked up. 'How was I supposed to ignore this... this triangle of  _evil_?!'

' _The energy was doing no harm to you_ ,' his catty reply came. His voice was completely indistinguishable, as if he was using some sort of voice modifier. ' _I was merely using it to locate my special item_.' He folded his arms but it made no progress to unveiling any part of him that Mercury could identify.

Odds were on he was a stranger with no civilian identity at all.

Then she caught eye of his bright white teeth. 'But...perhaps your being here will help me more than I anticipated.'

'How did you find me so quickly?' Mercury queried.

' _That stone you have chosen to carry_ ,' the Phantom replied, pointing to the one she had kept with her the past few days. ' _I have been using it to track your every movement. Not just tonight, either. I mean all of your movements. I knew what classes you were taking, who you were with - even when you were having that chat with Dr. Roser…._ '

Her conversation with Dr. Roser? Did that mean he had been watching her while she was with Hugo, too? Then afterwards with Kris? Did that mean their lives were in danger?

The Phantom seemed to read her mind.

_'Ha! Worried about those frauds you call "friends", are you?'_

She was taken aback. 'Frauds?'

_'Just wait,' t_ he Phantom muttered deviously.  _'Pretty soon you'll come to know what I mean.'_

Mercury didn't think she wanted to know. She had a sickly feeling in her stomach again - but it had nothing to do with Hugo. Funnily enough, she felt no doubt in her heart at all. The moment the Phantom said "fraud" he should have been the first thing that came to mind but no. She only had to think of one or two jokes he had told her, the funny little side smile he made when she agreed to get that coffee with him, and the way she had seen that same light in the eyes of his sister. A person's aura did not lie.

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Mercury said sternly. 'But I've had it up to here with your dark aura crystals interrupting my sleep! Dose yourself in water and repent!'

Not taking another second, she fired her water at him faster than a bullet. No attack called, just water that with the whip of her arm, turned to icicles and fired towards him.

The Phantom dodged. Even Mercury knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

He hopped onto the top of a long, disused chimney and looked down at her. Tutting, he spoke again,  _'I'll not tell you again, Sailor Mercury. Leave now and do not interrupt my experiments again.'_

'Experiments?' she queried.

She got no response as another unseen attack knocked her off her feet and threw her far enough that she almost fell from the roof top. Were it not for her fast reflexes as a Sailor Senshi, she undoubtedly would have gone over the edge. Instead she was able to grip the side and pull herself back up.

By the time she got her bearings, the Phantom was no where in sight.

Mercury cursed under her breath in English for the first time ever. For some reason no Japanese word she knew felt powerful enough.

She pulled out her supercomputer to try and see where the Phantom went. Nothing. He didn't even seem to leave an aura behind him, for all the dark energy he had at his disposal. He had taken the third crystal too. Still, Mercury had  _her_  crystal. She took it out to look at it. It was tempting to throw it away but... she couldn't take that risk either.

At least now she knew that the Phantom would likely try and stop her whenever she ventured out as Sailor Mercury with it in hand.

Instead, she used her supercomputer to do something else - locate the centre of the triangle. Her heart went cold when she saw where it was: the same address on the business card Kris had given her! She pulled out of her fuku again to double check. There was no doubt. She didn't even realise the shop had been so close.

Hugo had said it wasn't far but...

She sprinted off immediately.

Jumping over a couple of rooftops she made her way down to the streets and ran the last couple of blocks. The shop was located in a small square just off a smaller road. The minute Mercury laid eyes on it she saw that there had been a break in as the window was smashed in.

Then she got closer and saw something else that... surprised her.

Inside the shop there was a huddle of three people, all tied together and muttering something slowly under their breaths. She peered about them to see the shop was trashed. Items like the dream catchers, books and herbs were untouched but the cases containing tumbled gem stones had been broken into and their contents were all over the floor.

'What on Earth?' Sailor Mercury muttered.

It was only then she got close enough to hear what the group of three - two guys and a girl dressed in hoodies, fellow students from the look of them - were saying.

_"Find the core! Find the core! We must find...the core..."_

They said it over and over, only vaguely struggling against the rope restraining them.

Seeing the people like this reminded her of—

A light from the back went on. Mercury froze, quickly adopting an attack stance. She waited as the person emerged from the hanging beads clutching a cordless phone. Seeing the caller was just a long-bearded middle-aged man prompted her to duck into the shadows near the window. Even though she knew no one would recognise her as Ami Mizuno, she didn't really want to explain herself to this man. Still, she decided to wait and make sure he was safe.

She overheard the call.

'...That's right, sweetheart. You heard me. I have made a "citizen's arrest", right? Three bloody teenagers broke my window and tried to rob my shop,' his gruff, cockney accent rang out. Not really the sort of voice one would expect from the proprietor of a New Age shop. Weren't they supposed to speak all mellow?

'I've got 'em all tied up on my shop floor right now - are you sending the police over or what?'

The faint murmur of the lady with 999 services wafted out from the receiver.

'My name is Colbert Dunsten and I want to  _press charges_  for breaking and entering,' the man said sternly. He stepped forward to take a look at them too, 'Frankly, I'd send them down for using drugs too. They seem stoned out of their minds.'

All the while he spoke, the three students continued to chant the same words.

'They attacked me too!' he added.

He came across as one if those people who mumbled on and on if you let him. Still, this part seemed worth listening to.

'I heard the window break, came downstairs because I'll tell you this, sweetheart, I'm no push over, and whack! Got me stone cold. I wake up a bit later to find my shop being turn upside down. Thank God that lad came by when he did—'

Lad? Mercury thought, not being able to place the word.

'Tall lad with a mask on,' Mr. Dunsten said. 'Didn't give his name. He just restrained the little bastards and helped my head injury—what? Oh, I think I'm fine. But yeah, he patched me up. He then told me to call you and said be had to leave. "No one else can see me," he said. I reckon he's one of those vigilante superheroes you read about in the  _Metro_. Probably didn't want to be caught by you lot. Yeah... he was my bloody knight in shining armour.'

In the distance, Mercury heard sirens. She glanced in the man's direction. He had his back turned. She decided to sneak her way out of the shop. The matter was in hand and she had heard all she needed.

'Oi, oi! I hear sirens in the air - are they for me?' Mr. Dunsten asked. He got his response and tutted, 'About bloody time, too!'

Mercury was outside fast enough not to be seen. She glanced into the shop one more time, her eyes landing again on the three teenagers. They sat there mumbling, mumbling…

Then one looked up, straight at her. Mercury recoiled - his eyes were completely whited out.

_"Core! Core! Core!"_  he shouted.

She ducked away, worried he would draw the shopkeeper's attention to her.  _"Where's the core? Find the core!"_  she heard the other two chime. The moment she ducked out of sight, the one who had stared at her settled down and resumed the slow chanting from before.

As the sirens drew closer, Mercury decided it was time to go.

She turned to leave and froze dead: someone was watching the shop from one of the side roads leading to the square. He was completely in shadow so it was impossible to make him out - but Mercury could see it was a him. The moment she noticed him, he seemed to tense up. He could see her clearer than she him, due to the darkness of the street he was in there was no light touching him.

She brought down her goggles, wondering if it was the Phantom again back to gloat -

But no, he was already running off.

Mercury scowled and made after him. She didn't get very far though as by the time she got to where he had just been standing, he was gone. Checking the area around him, there was no remaining energy and certainly no crystals.

Looking down the road, there was no sign of him either. He ran fast.

A police car pulled up to the shop behind her, the red and blue lights just barely catching her. She moved further into the darkness so they wouldn't see her and mistake her for someone they might want to question. The shopkeeper ran out to greet them, still waving his phone in the air.

Mercury knew there was nothing for it but the head home now.

At least she had learned a lot and had data to correlate in her supercomputer. Her only regret was not getting a good look at that second shadowy figure. However, with any luck, she would have got a picture of him just before he ran off with her goggles.

She would check when she got back to her flat.

Either way, she had to call the girls about all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split "Clear Crystal" into two parts simply due to how long the character scene between Hugo and Ami went on for. Don't think it is just a typical ship tease moment - there are some hints as to solving one of the big mysteries of the story in there.


	6. 仮面 - Stranger

Ami was up early to dress for her second "outing" with Hugo. Once she naturally awoke at 6:30 she found herself too eager to go back to sleep for another half an hour, even though she knew Hugo wouldn't arrive until 8:30.

She showered, deciding to give her hair a quick wash too, and contemplated the other night as she lathered in the conditioner to leave in. She would hold off calling the girls until she had visited the shop and, hopefully, spoke to the owner. He was Christabel's uncle too... so maybe it would be worth asking her? It wasn't just the Phantom anymore either; there were those brainwashed teenagers and that shadowy figure she had caught staking out the shop. So many elements to consider.

Rinsing out her hair the last time, she just stood and basked in the soothing scents of her body wash and the calmly patter of the water against her skin.

 _As if I don't have enough to worry about_ , she thought bleakly. Her education should come first yet her duties as a Sailor Senshi were rearing their ugly head once again.  _Why did it have to be here and now while she was alone and with no one to help?_

She turned off the water and stepped out of the stall. Clearing the condensation from the mirror, she trimmed up her fringe - having neglected it since coming to London - and made her way back to her room to dry off and get ready.

Once hair was dried and she was all dressed for the day ahead, she made her way towards the kitchen to grab breakfast. It was empty, still too early for most of her flat mates, and only the evidence of their beer and their cigarettes remained. Honestly, how could Hugo stand to inhale those toxins into his body?!

She decided for that reason to eat in her room as there was no way she was cleaning up that pig sty.

Time went unnervingly slow thereafter. Ami kept trying to study but she kept getting distracted, anxiously waiting for 8:30 to roll on for fear she might miss it. She found herself getting up, pacing around, staring in the mirror before sitting back down to try and read some more. None of it was going in, though.

 _Is this because of Hugo?_ she wondered to herself. Her chest felt tighter the moment she thought it and her cheeks felt warm to touch. She smiled to herself.  _My view of him changed so quickly, didn't it?_

The moment the clock changed to 8:30, she braced herself. Then when it turned to 8:31 she scowled.  _He's already late..._ she thought dourly. At 8:32 the buzzer to the front of the building went off. She immediately reached for the phone to answer it.

"Hiya, is that you Ami?" Hugo's voice crackled through the receiver.

Her heart settled in relief. 'Good morning, Hugo. Just wait a moment and I'll be down in a sec.'

"Righto!"

He immediately let go of the button. Ami gathered up her bag and gave herself one last look in the mirror before she headed down to the main entrance. He was leaning up against the wall, rolling up another smoke.

She sighed so loud that his head snapped in her direction.

Ami shook her head, 'How many have you had today?'

'This is my first one,' he assured her with a smile, turning to continue rolling it up. 'Beaver's honour. I'd give you a higher honour but I got kicked out. I always thought I was more suited to the life of a Rainbow.'*

Ami blinked in confusion.

Hugo just laughed. 'Sorry, scout joke.'

To his credit, as she got closer, he still smelt of that morning's shower. The sharp smell of his body wash combined with the cool scent of whatever he cleaned his hair with, shamelessly making Ami's whole body skip a beat. No smoke on him at all.

'Any chance you could not smoke that one?' she asked in a hopeful voice.

Hugo tucked the finished article behind his ear like a pen. 'If it'll make you feel better, I won't smoke it in front of you,' he told her.

'I'd rather you quit,' she confessed.

'Maybe one day,' he sighed comically. 'The right person will come along and change me.'

Ami just smiled and nodded. 'But in the mean time?'

'In the meantime, I still need my oral fixation,' he declared, swinging his bag over his shoulder again as they walked to the door. He glanced over at Ami as the sun light finally hit them. 'You... look nice, by the way,' he said slowly, shyly. 'Did you do something... different?'

Ami could feel her cheeks lighting up again. 'Oh, I just trimmed up my hair a bit.'

'Oh well,' he continued on, rubbing the back of his head, 'you look nice. Well, you always do but I can tell something is different.'

She smiled, 'Thank you, Hugo.'

Before they made their way towards the shop, they stopped off for some takeaway coffee from Tile Cafe. A different barista was there from Helen today. Hugo asked after his sister who he was informed was in class. 'That's good,' he muttered, relieved that she wasn't being forced to miss them.

Clutching their cups of cinnamon latte delight, they carried on their way.

'I'm glad Helen is still able to continue her education,' Ami said after a short while.

Hugo threw his head back with an overdramatic sigh, 'You can say that again! I really need to visit her for a reason other than coffee…'

They carried on their way.

Ami pretended to follow Hugo back towards the familiar little square where the New Age shop was. The whole time she tried to act like she had never been there before all while remembering the previous night like she was living it over again. Perhaps the shop would still be closed? If it was, what would she and Hugo do? Disband for another time?

'Hm, you have a good sense of direction, it seems,' Hugo commented, breaking Ami's chain of thought. She looked up to that all too familiar cat-like smile. 'You seem to know all the turns before we even make them.'

She looked away, swiftly blurting out her already thought out excuse.

'I suppose I'm psychic.'

'Really?' Hugo chuckled teasingly. 'Makes me a little redundant then; you could probably have made this trip on your own.'

'N-No,' Ami said quickly, very aware of her pinking skin once again. 'I enjoy your company a lot, Hugo.' Her burning cheeks were a nicer feeling this time as she was speaking very much from the heart.

He looked down to try and stifle an almost audible snicker in his throat. She could see his smile, though. It quickened her heart so suddenly that Ami wanted to look away but she couldn't bring herself to.

Hugo's foot gently kicked a random pebble before he spoke up. 'Yes, well, the feeling is mutual.' He then looked over to her to add, 'You have an innately likeable personality.'

Ami bit down on her smile and looked forward. 'Not many people tell me that. Most people think I'm haughty and cold.'

'You are a bit quiet and take a while to trust people,' Hugo admitted. 'I think we can agree that was an issue between us when we started out, right?'

She genuinely felt ashamed about that now. The longer she spent with Hugo, the worse she felt about her presumption that he was the same boy she had met all those years ago, hellbent on destroying the Sailor Senshi.  _Never judge a book by its cover_ , she told herself, closing her eyes in shame:

'I feel really terrible for it,' she told him.

He shrugged, 'It's fine. I'm really not the sort to bear a grudge—'

Ami had to stifle a giggle.

Hugo lifted an eyebrow, smiling despite himself.

'W-what? What's so funny about that?'

'Nothing,' Ami said, chewing her lip. 'I... don't even know why I laughed then.'

It was weird, like a Freudian slip without any words. She felt innately that Hugo was the sort of person to hold a grudge, yet she had never seen any real evidence of it.  _Perhaps his issues with his father, or how sensitive he can get about his coma could be termed as "touchy"_ , she pondered, reflecting for a nanosecond how easy it was becoming to work English words into her thought process.  _Still, that can hardly be termed as a grudge, though._

As if Hugo was reading her mind - as per usual - he spoke, 'You're thinking about my daddy issues, aren't you? Or perhaps how touchy I get about my… medical issue?'

She should have been used to this by now but if anything she was more in awe than ever before. He had even used the word "touchy".

'How do you  _do_  that?'

'I  _am_  psychic,' he simpered, a twinkle in his eyes.

'I'm starting to believe you about that.'

They walked down the narrow alley where Ami had seen the second masked man. She braced as they made their way towards the end, preparing to look surprised when she saw the shop's inevitable mess.

Hugo beat her to it, though not in the way she expected.

'Kris's scooter is here,' he stated the moment he set eyes on the shop.

Ami looked at the very nice magenta coated motor scooter parked in the "Keep Clear" alley beside the New Age shop. That rule probably didn't apply to the niece of the proprietor.

'Perhaps she's checking on her uncle?' she suggested, after a long silence where they just seemed to stare at the scooter.

'Hm,' Hugo murmured. 'No police about. Let's go see if she's there — it's open.'

They strode across the square towards the shop, the sounds of two voices bickering the closer they got. One was definitely Christabel, the other her uncle.

'Have you called the insurance people yet about the window?' Kris asked, standing beside her uncle as she shuffled through papers. 'You'll need to chase the police up for that case number.'

'Yes,  _alright_ , Belle,' the older man grumbled. 'God, you're your mother's daughter. My old sis was never happy 'less she was having a moan.'

'You have to get on top of this sort of thing, Uncle Cole!' she chided him. 'Knowing you, you'd have a smashed up window right up until Christmas unless I don't "keep on" you—'

'Alright, alright,' the man sniped. 'I'll do it on lunch.'

'Sure you don't want me to do it?'

'No! I'll do it. You're never gonna be a doctor if you spend all your time looking after me, love—'

It was at this moment Hugo knocked on the door. This got the guy's attention immediately as he shouted: 'Come in! We're open as usual. Mind the mess.'

'Ami! You decided to check it out?' Kris beamed, before turning to Hugo and cocking an eyebrow, 'And... you're here too?'

'Just showing Ami the way,' he said bluntly, before looking around and adding. 'I'm guessing you guys had a break in?'

'Bunch of little buggers broke my windows and my display cases,' Cole blurted out from behind Kris. He was sitting at the counter, trying to make sense of the papers Kris had placed there. 'They whacked me over the head and turned this place inside out. If it hadn't been for that young lad, boy, I'd hate to think what would have happened.'

Ami perked up, 'Young lad?'

'Young fella in a long coat - or maybe it was a cape - came in and sorted those little bastards out. He fought them, tied them up and then saw to my wound,' he explained excitedly, almost like a little boy describing a day out.

'Lucky for you,' Hugo agreed.

'What did he look like?' Ami asked.

'Oh, no,' Kris groused. ' _Don't_  get him started. I've heard the story about fifty ti—'

'It's hard to describe him,' Cole immediately began, ignoring his niece's bellyaching. 'He was a youngish lad, perhaps about  _youse_  lots age. Wearing some sort of coat like someone in the Navy or the RAF. Military, you know? Oh, and he had a mask on.'

'He had a mask on?' Ami reprised.

'Well, sunglasses with the holes punched out of them is more accurate,' the older man snickered. 'Hardly Batman standard but there you go.'

'But do you remember what he actually looked like?' Hugo instantly asked. Ami spun around to see him fingering some of the tumbled stones in a display box. He looked up, his speckled green eyes dark and fierce. 'Hair colour, eye colour, birthmarks... anything like that?'

Kris's eyebrow was up again.

'Why? Think you might know him?' Cole hooted.

'Do you remember  _anything_  outside of what he wore?' Hugo grilled, almost robotically, paying no mind to the older man's question. 'You must have seen his hair, right? What colour was it? Was it short or long?'

Cole made to answer... but then stopped, scowling in confusion.

'I... I can't remember. No, wait, it was...  _Hm_ , you know... I don't remember seeing it.  _But I did_. I suppose it was... too dark…?'

As his voice tailed off, Kris's face softened and she walked to stand beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. 'I brought him home from the hospital,' she explained. 'The nurse there said the guy who helped him did a decent job patching up the wound but he might suffer from some short-term memory loss.'

'Agh, don't fuss over me, Hell's Belles!' Cole grumbled, his head in one hand but the other patting hers affectionately. 'You always worry too much, lovey.'

Her smile broadened. 'If I don't, who will?'

'You really are like your mum,' he said, looking up at her with fatherly eyes.

Ami and Hugo watched the exchange silently before Hugo stepped meekly forward. 'I'm sorry if I upset you, Mr. Dunsten.'

Cole, seemingly back to his normal self, held out a hand for the young man to shake. 'You didn't upset me at all, lad. I'm just getting old. The name's Colbert Dunsten.'

'Hugo Zehren.'

Cole glanced behind Hugo at Ami, who was staring at the shards on display. A mischievous smirk crossed the older man's face, 'And what's your name, lovely?'

Ami's head snapped around. 'Oh, um, I'm Ami Mizuno. Please do call me Ami.'

'Ah-mee, eh?' Cole repeated. 'Lovely to meet you. You two on Kris's course too, then?'

'Indeed we are,' Hugo announced brightly. 'It's nice to finally meet you, sir.'

'No formalities,' the older man insisted. 'Just call me Cole. Zehren, eh? Not related to Helen, are you?'

'My older sister,' Hugo said, a little surprised. 'She comes into your shop?'

'Oh, a _ll the time_!' Cole joked, before winking and shaking his head. 'Nah, she does sometimes to buy tumbled stones but usually I'm the one going to her caf. Always knows what I want.'

'Because you  _always_  get the same thing,' Kris teased, giving her uncle a light tap. He just chuckled and nodded the affirmative.

The mention of stones reminded Ami of why she had come in the first place. She went to dig the white stone out from her pocket. The moment she did, Hugo seemed to sense now was his time to go to that health food shop he had mentioned the other day.

He turned to leave.

'Ami, I'll be back in ten.'

'See you in a moment,' she smiled, watching him go before she turned to Cole and Kris; the smirk on the latter's face made her heart skip a beat. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately, especially when it came to Hugo. She cleared her throat, holding out the stone. 'Mr. Dunsten, I was wondering if you could help me with this?'

'Ah, what do you have there, sweetheart?'

'It's a stone she found,' Kris explained, her arm still patting her uncle's shoulder. 'I told her you were an expert and that she should come along to the shop to show you.'

'Ah, acting as my PR company again?'

'Just look at the gem.'

Ami nervously let him take hold of the stone, half afraid something bad might happen the moment he touched it. Thankfully, he took it as if it was any old hunk of rock. Holding it up to the light to observe it, he hummed and clicked.

'Hm, there are many stones this could be,' he began slowly. 'It's a clear stone, though it is a little cloudy. I think I would have to test this little fella further to be certain.'

She bit her lip. 'Test?'

Noting the worry in her eyes, Cole immediately reassured her. 'Don't worry, none of it involves devaluing the stone.'

She was hesitant. After all this thing had been used to produce a dark aura that kept activating outside of her control. Although there was nothing inherently dangerous about the crystal itself, who knows what tampering with it would do.

Seeing her worry again, he came to a conclusion. 'If you want to be certain what type of crystal it is, you will need to submit it to certain tests that may involve scratching or submersing the stone in water. It's just the way it is.'

Ami took a deep breath and relented, 'I understand — do what you have to.'

The older man gave her a kind smile and got up to move behind a work desk. She eyed the small, bright focus lamp and the array of tools. 'If you're anxious, you can watch,' he said with a wink.

Kris crossed her arm and tilted her body slightly to whisper in Ami's ear, 'It's not as exciting as you'd think.'

She watched intently as Cole carried out the first test: taking another, larger clear stone that looked a lot like her stone and her rubbed the two gently together. Then he held up Ami's stone, humming.

Next he dropped the stone into a peculiar water tank — and Ami braced for something terrible to happen, which thankfully it didn't and she was left feeling oddly underwhelmed —- and observed it through a telescope with filters over the lens.

'Interesting...' he mumbled, before taking it out again and pulling out a couple of similarly coloured yet smaller stones from a draw beside him. He seemed to be comparing the edges. 'The fractures on your stone are too sharp to be Quartz,' he said aloud.

As he was preparing for what would be the final test, Hugo came back. He looked at Cole confused and seemingly a little unnerved how quiet everything was. He tapped Ami's shoulder, making her jump.

'Sorry,' he whispered in abashment. 'How's it going?'

'Well, it's not Quartz,' Ami whispered.

He pulled a confused look. 'What's Quartz?'

'It's the world's most common species of gemstone,' Kris answered, rolling her eyes as if he had asked a stupid question.

Hugo snorted, 'Well,  _excuse me_  Ms. Gemologist!'

Suddenly, Cole swirled his chair around and looked directly at Ami. 'I would have to calculate the specific gravity of this stone to be absolutely certain. However it seems to me that you have a nice piece of Goshenite here,' he concluded.

'Ah, the seer stone,' Kris said, rolling on her heels lightly.

'What exactly is Goshenite, though?' Ami asked.

'It's a nice, strong and reasonably rare form of beryl. You can tell by how my quartz failed to leave a noticeable scratch - you have to look closely to see them. Additionally, when I put it through the Aqua filter, it had a noticeable blue hue to it - indicative of beryl. They tend to invoke—- um, are you alright?'

Ami had gone noticeably pale. The moment Cole had same the word "beryl", she had felt a chill run down her spine. It carried such intense fear and hate even now and was made all the worse that she was currently being flanked by a look alike of one of her minions.

Guilt set in immediately as negative thoughts about Hugo rushed through her head again. She tried to glance at him without turning her head but just moving her eyes made her feel dizzy. However, she did catch eye of Hugo's face. It was filled with genuine concern.

'Ami?' he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. 'Are you alright?'

The second he touched her, she felt a cool calm flow over her. It flowed through her chest and straight to her brow, washing through her mind like a low tide. She opened her eyes to look into his sparkling green ones. Seeing them looking so kind and human, settled her heart once again.

Kris stepped to the other side of her, pulled over a chair and directed her into it. 'Here, take a moment,' she told her, before turning to go into the back room. 'I'll grab you some water.'

Finally, Ami looked up to meet the gaze of a puzzled Cole. She smiled apologetically, her face full of embarrassment. 'I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.'

There was no point in telling them the full story. It would take too long and she would likely end up being committed, they'd never believe her. Even the short version would have them questioning her sanity.

'Feeling a bit better now?' Hugo asked.

'A bit,' Ami said breathless in wonderment, still unsure what he had done to her, if he had done anything at all. 'I feel silly now.'

Kris returned with the water, freezing cold to touch in Ami's hand. 'Here, get this down you.'

'It's water, Kris, not whiskey,' Hugo said.

'No, really,' Ami assured him, bringing it to her lips. 'This will help a lot.'

Anything water based always gave her boost. True, all living things needed water to survive but for the Sailor Mercury inside her it was as affective as a shot of adrenaline. Snow storms, freezing temperatures, rain and even a glass of water always gave her the "courage" most people only got from a shot if a  _very_  different kind. Together with Hugo's peculiar healing touch - which still coursed through her, soothing her mind and heart — Ami was starting to feel even stronger than when she started.

She smiled to them all, each one still watching her carefully, 'I'm fine, really. Just had a funny turn.'

Kris gave Ami's head a stroke. 'Perhaps you're a little anaemic? I get it a lot.'

She knew that wasn't it but she nodded along nonetheless. As Cole also offered up a few suggestions — all of which went in one ear and out the other — Ami glanced down at the stone again. It looked so unremarkable and harmless... surely it had nothing to do with its namesake? Still, it was the fact that it was a polished clear-white stone that unnerved her as she was forced to recall similar stones that had hung from the dreaded queen's ears, necklace and waist. The question was, and it was a pretty big one, if this really did have something to do with Queen Beryl then how was the Phantom involved? And this "Masked Stranger" that Cole claimed had helped him? Were the two even connected?

'Maybe we should call Dan and ask if we could do this another time?' Hugo suddenly said, breaking Ami's train if thought.

She shook her head, 'No, no! That's be silly. I'm fine, really.'

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. The whole time he had been looking at her like he knew what was bothering her was no physical ailment but a concern of the mind. Just from the look in his eyes she could tell he wanted to ask what it was but he was too cautious of Kris and her uncle to ask straight.

 _Mind reader_ , Ami thought again as a small smile crossed her lips.

'Well,' Cole cleared his throat, breaking the weird slow silence that had fallen over the shop. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he said, 'I hope I was of some help to you.'

'Oh, believe me,' Ami said assuredly. 'You have been a very big help.'

Shortly after they made their way over to Dan's place.

He lived a little out of the way near the end of the same tube line Kris lived on. Thankfully though once they got off the metro it was easy to find their way to the house where he lived alone. It was a large house that had been separated into flats, his currently being the only one that was occupied.

As Ami, Hugo and Kris stepped into the main hall way, the smell of new paint hit them like a prid-stick pushed up their nose.

'Must still be being renovated,' Kris commented, taking a brief look around. 'Eerily quiet. I wouldn't want to live out here.'

'Too far away from campus,' Ami muttered in agreement. She personally hoped she would be able to stay in student halls for at least the first two years of her studies. As a foreign student she was, at least, entitled to do so.

Suddenly, they heard the thumping of footsteps above their heads.

'Dan?' Hugo yelled out.

He seemed a little lethargic all of a sudden, his voice cracking up.

The banging got louder as they came to the landing above. A few more skips and Daniel was standing at the top of the stairs, smirking down at them.

'You all made it,' he said cheerfully. 'Excellent. Come on up!'

He immediately spun around, shouting for them to hurry up as he excitedly ran back to his room.

Kris giggled under her breath, 'He's like a little boy.'

She began to ascend the stairs, leaving Hugo and Ami alone for a moment. He leaned over to speak quietly in her ear, 'Are you feeling okay now?'

Looking up at him, she wanted to ask him the same question. Ami had noted how naturally pale Hugo was many times but today he had grey bags under his eyes, which seemed to have got darker and heavier since they left the shop. He seemed almost like a cold was coming on or he hadn't slept well.

'I'm fine,' she finally replied. 'What about you?'

He just tittered briefly under his breath. 'Me? Heh, yeah I'm… fine…'

He started up the stairs, obliging Ami to follow.

Finally, they were inside the small flat. The moment Ami stepped in his was surprised at how spacious it was - very little in the way of furniture or decoration but it seemed to suit Dan somehow. The objects that stood out in the whole place were the dining table, a small sofa barely large enough to fit them all on and a television hooked up to what looked like a home game console.

It was not one she recognised though.

'You promised there would be furniture, Danny!' Kris grumbled, hiking her bag further up her shoulder and glancing around.

'I promised a table and a sofa,' Dan reminded her, and he point to the said table. 'It even has four chairs! Like I said, we can't all be made of money.'

'But this place barely looks lived in,' Kris went on.

Dan pouted. 'I haven't had time to personalise. Geez… and there I was, going to ask how your uncle was too after his break in. No respect!'

'How did you hear about that?'

'This thing called the grapevine,' Dan said tartly. 'People talk. Heard he got rescued by some twonk Batman wannabe and such – a stranger in a mask or whatever. Seriously though, is he okay?'

Her face settled slightly. 'Not too bad. Thank you.'

'Don't mention it,' Dan nodded, smiling warmly. 'Now stop taking the piss out of my stuff!'

Hugo glanced about the place as well before noting, 'You already have the game machine on?'

'I was playing while waiting for all of you to turn up,' he informed him.

'And you have a second controller too?' noted Hugo, his eyebrow up. 'I told you that this was supposed to be a  _study session_ , Dan! We can't procrastinate by playing video games.

After an awkward silence, Dan just laughed nervously.

'I  _will_  study. It's just it'll be nice to break it up with a little chatter, snacks and…' his voice cut off, eyeing the game machine.

Ami had tilted her head, '…and video games?'

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his boyish face looking more childish than ever. 'It's… just so rare that I have a chance to play multiplayer.'

Kris huffed a sigh. 'God, you really  _are_  like a little boy. What are we going to do with you?'

Hugo dropped his bag on the table.

'Fine,' he relented. 'We'll do about three hours of study, then we'll eat and  _then_  play some games.'

Dan's face immediately perked up and grinned, 'Glad you're finally seeing things from my point of view, Hughie-boy.'

As the girls sat down next to each other, Kris leaned over and whispered. 'Trust Hughie to keep us all on the straight and narrow, eh?' and she leaned back, smirking.

'Well, he is right,' Ami said quietly. 'Gaming time should be a reward for hard work.'

'Don't let his stoicism fool you,' Dan told her, overhearing them. 'He wants to play the new  _Silver Knight_ game as much as I do.'

Hugo raised an eyebrow, 'I… didn't even know you had it.'

'Silver Knight?' Kris questioned, looking down at her notebook as she spoke. 'What's that about then?'

'Oh, it's an RPG platformer game that just came out,' Dan explained. 'You go through dungeons and collect power ups to take on monsters.'

'Sounds like every other game on the market,' Kris muttered, already losing interest.

'Sounds like a game we have back home,' Ami pipped up.

Dan shot her an entertained look, leaning forward keenly. 'Ooo, really?' he said in a tone that, had it not been him speaking, she would have thought he was mocking her. 'What game is that then?'

'Can we please get on?' Hugo said peevishly.

He was looking all the more tired and irritable, like something was bothering him. Ami felt a jolt through her heart as she immediately worried what it could be. Still, she answered Dan's question but all while looking at Hugo.

'Um, it's called  _Sailor V_ …'

'Sailor…  _V_?' Kris said under her breath. 'I don't even want to ask what the "V" stands for.'

'Hahaha!' Dan chuckled, and then went on brightly. 'Yeah, yeah, I definitely know  _that_  one. It got a release here too, you know…' and he looked over to Hugo, simpering. 'Do  _you_  know which game Ami is talking about?'

The whole time this conversation had been going, Ami had been watching Hugo. As the subject of  _Sailor V_  came up, she had noticed that his face had changed from tetchy to deep in thought.

' _Sailor V_ …?' he said quietly, speaking as if this subject had more gravitas than it really did. Ami knew well that the game had more to it than met the eye but Hugo seemed to be getting a headache just saying the name. Artemis first had  _Sailor V_  designed to help train Minako as a senshi, and then Luna used it to help Ami and the others train too. All of this happened while Hugo was still in a coma so the game's existence had likely past him by. Finally, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He was so tired!

'I… can't picture it.'

Ami tilted her head, 'Are you feeling okay, Hugo?'

'Good God!' Kris proclaimed, trying to inject some vivacity into the situation. It had not escaped her either how fragile Hugo was looking all of a sudden. 'We're dropping like flies today. Dan and I better watch out.'

Dan pursed his lips, 'Hm? Why, what happened?'

'Oh,' Kris looked away, shaking her hand dismissively. 'Ami was just feeling a little sick earlier but she's fine now. Right, loveydovey?'

Ami nodded, keeping her eyes on Hugo.

Hugo choked a chuckle, making levity of it all. 'I'm fine, guys. Really. Honest. Just didn't sleep well last night.'

A small silence swept by.

'But as I say saying,' Dan continued. 'I think  _Silver Knight_  comes from the same company that made the  _Sailor V_  games.'

That piqued Ami's interest.

'R-really?!'

'Y-yeah,' he snickered, seemingly nonplussed by her reaction. 'Um, I guess they did it to appeal to the male demographic or something.'

Hugo lifted his head from his hand.

'I don't know,' he muttered. 'I think a blonde girl in a short-skirt has plenty male appeal…'

Dan gave him a coy look, seeming almost please with himself. 'I thought you said you couldn't picture it.'

Ami watched the clogs in Hugo's mind turn. Instead of looking like someone who had been caught in a lie, he seemed surprised at himself, like his mouth had gone into autopilot and spoken before he could even register what hewas saying. Unable to do anything else, though, he shook it off as nothing.

'I… guess I just  _did_  remember. Weird.'

It made the atmosphere strangely tense.

Thankfully, Kris had the resolve to break it up. 'Okay, okay, now,' she said firmly. 'Now that Dan has tortured us all with his geeky knowledge of Japanese video games, can we please get to our revision on the nervous system, please?!'

'Yes!' Hugo said breathily.

'Absolutely!' Ami said affirmatively.

'If we must,' Dan said, defeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note about Beavers and Rainbows. Those who know the Boy Scouts (which would be been boy-only in the 90s) and Girl Guides will know Beavers are for little boys under 8 while in the Scouts while Rainbows are the Guides (which even today are still girl-only).


	7. ゲーム - Silver Knight

Ami and the others poured over their notes from their gross anatomy session with Bernard - the name had well and truly stuck - going over the anatomic terms together as well as reading from their textbooks on a turn basis to try and make new notes. As always, Hugo seemed to come more alive when they touched on anything vaguely biomedical. He had stated his interest was to become a surgeon but Ami also thought he would make an excellent biomedical scientist too. She wondered whether his father would approve — she imagined his father would prefer for his son to become a surgeon like him.

 

After about three and a half hours of non-stop discussion, Hugo eyed Dan.

 

‘You haven’t said anything in a while.’

 

The lighter haired man looked up. ‘I… I was just making notes.’

 

‘You’re thinking about that stupid game!’

 

Dan rubbed his eyes and groaned, ‘We have been doing this for three and a half hours. Never mind the game – I’m starting to get hungry!’

 

A tiny grumble filled the air.

 

Ami blushed as all eyes turned to her. ‘I guess I’m hungry too.’

 

Dan immediately got up and went to his fridge. ‘I’m putting a pizza in. Let’s break.’

 

Kris turned to Hugo and sighed, ‘He has a point there, slave-driver.’

 

He relented, throwing down his pen. ‘Fine, fine…’

 

She got up to help Dan in the kitchen, once again leaving Ami and Hugo alone. The moment she thought she was free to talk to him without the other two hearing, she leaned over the table and spoke softly to him.

 

_‘Are you feeling OK?’_ a little frantic now.

 

He looked up, forcing a smile. ‘I’m fine.’

 

‘Because you look exhausted,’ Ami said. ‘More so than usual, anyway.’

 

‘It’s nothing, really.’

 

_‘Hugo!’_

 

Her tone was so sharp he looked genuinely surprised. Truth was she was surprised at herself too — in her heart, though, she was truly starting to feel fear and worry. Something wasn’t right with Hugo and it had got worse since the moment that odd sensation had passed between them back at the shop. It had made her feel better but had clearly made him feel worse.

 

Despite everything, he finally seemed receptive to her mild tartness.

 

A heavy sigh escaped his chest. ‘I… just haven’t been sleeping. Longer the day goes on, the worse I feel,’ he explained. ‘And I don’t want to go to sleep because I always have…’ and he thought about the next word carefully, ‘Bad dreams.’

 

‘What sort of “bad dreams”?’

 

He shrugged. ‘I don’t even remember all the details. I just seem to keep waking up in a cold sweat, feeling as if I’m about to fall or something. Ugh!’

 

Hugo threw his head back with a languid laugh. ‘Sorry, I’m not making sense.’

 

‘Maybe you should see a doctor?’ Ami suggested before snickering slightly. ‘I mean, your mother _is_ a doctor so she must know some good ones.’

 

He looked up at the ceiling.

 

‘This isn’t the sort of thing you can go to a doctor about,’ he mumbled, before flashing her his best attempt at a winning look. ‘Don’t worry too much, Ami. Really, it’s fine.’

 

Ami looked away pensively. ‘I can’t help it. For some reason I just get the feeling you—’

 

At that moment Dan came skipping back into the room.

 

‘Okay, the pizza should be ready in about ten minutes!’ he declared happily. He immediately moved over to the game console to grab the two controllers. ‘Time for some multiplayer _Silver Knight_!’

 

He shoved one of the controllers into Hugo’s weak hands.

 

‘You can be my player two!’ Dan announced straight away.

 

‘I don’t really feel up to it,’ Hugo began half-heartedly.

 

‘Come on!’ the pale-haired man persisted. ‘You love playing video games and this is the adventure RPG platformer. Of. The. Moment.’

 

With a weak nod of the head, Hugo complied and leant forward to look at the screen.

 

‘Let’s make it a contest, the Guys against the Gals,’ Dan decided. ‘I’ll play Hugh, Krissy plays Ams and then the two winners have a face off.’

 

Kris sat down at the end of the sofa.

 

‘Oh, no,’ she groaned. ‘I know nothing about these games!’

 

‘It’s really simple,’ Ami promised her with a tiny smile. ‘If it’s anything like _Sailor V_ , once you get into it, you’ll press the buttons without even having to think about it.’

 

‘If you say so…’

 

As the home screen came on Ami was indeed reminded of _Sailor V_ as the title, written in Japanese with the English title imposed over the top read _Silver Knight_. Dan took them onto the selection menu. The main character — designed in a very similar way to Sailor V — was dressed in a white uniform with silver armour fan plates, gauntlets and a mask, all silver to match his same-coloured hair, and greenish-grey eyes.

 

He reminded Ami of someone, but she couldn’t put her finger on it although for some reason she kept thinking of Artemis.

 

Dan keyed in two players then side-glanced at Hugo with a baleful stare. ‘We play the first stage on multiplayer mode. I haven’t tried it yet—’

 

‘Says you,’ Hugo cut in.

 

He ignored him, ‘—because the multiplayer is different from single player.’

 

Then he turned back to the television, preparing himself.

 

‘But I should warn you,’ Dan smiled smugly. ‘I’m an ace at this.’

 

Hugo glimpsed back at him. ‘Oh, I’m sure you are.’

 

 

They began slowly, the screen split with Hugo on the bottom and Dan at the top. Ami watched them as they ran through the side-scrolling level. The graphics, artwork and even the enemies reminded her of _Sailor V_ — to the point of suspicion. Perhaps she would have to look into this? Best thing to do with be to ask Artemis directly but…

 

She leant forward and picked up the box.

 

‘Who makes this game?’

 

Kris also looked curiously at the logo and company title. It read Nijisuishō and it was accompanied by an eight-pointed star, coloured ironically in grey. Ironic to Ami at least as she knew what the Japanese-sounding company name meant. ‘Rainbow Crystal,’ she repeated under her breath. _Sounds like something Artemis might come up with…_

 

The game suddenly started blaring with accomplishment and goal-reaching sound effects. Ami and Kris’s heads whipped back to the screen as the boys both frantically pressed buttons on the controllers. To Ami’s surprise, despite how out of it he was, Hugo was whirring through the stage like a pro! Each time an enemy appeared, he pre-empted it and dodged before blasting it with the purple sword the Silver Knight character carried.

 

Dan’s lips curled up, sneering.

 

‘You’re shockingly good at this, Mr. Zed.’

 

Hugo ignored him; his eyes were glued to the screen like his life depended on it.

 

‘You haven’t been hit once,’ Dan jibed on.

 

Again, Hugo just carried on.

 

‘It’s like,’ Dan nattered on, desperately bashing his thumb, ‘you aren’t even human.’

 

In a sudden flash, Hugo snapped out of his trance, dropped the controller and clasped his face.

 

‘Hey, the controllers cost money, you know!’ Dan snapped, also looking away from the screen.

 

They were all silenced by how disorientated Hugo seemed.

 

‘I’m okay, I’m okay…’ he rambled into his palms.

 

Ami was immediately on it, resting a hand on his shoulder.

 

‘Hugo, you are _NOT_ okay!’

 

Dan paused the game straight away, his eyebrows twisted in concern. ‘Hey, man I was only joking!’

 

He continued to ignore him, now just rubbing his cramped hands. From the look of him, Ami guessed even Hugo couldn’t explain what had got into him just then.

 

As if waking up from a dream, he blinked and looked at the three concerned faces. Hugo finally forced a smile, ‘Sorry about that everyone. My hand cramped up. Guess I was getting too far into it.’

 

‘Not many,’ Kris said, pointing at the screen. On Hugo’s section it showed an outlandishly high score, far and much higher than Dan’s was, ‘You boys and your dick-swinging competitiveness. _Seriously!_ ’

 

Dan slapped a hand on Hugo’s shoulder. ‘That was an _intense_ battle! We should do it again.’

 

Ami looked between the two. _I certainly hope not…_

 

‘Yeah, maybe,’ Hugo said simply.

 

At that moment, the oven pinged to announce the pizza was done.

 

‘Well,’ Kris said, capturing the mood with levity only she could provide. ‘I think that signifies half-time, don’t you?’

 

 

 

*

 

 

Upon getting home, Ami finally decided she had learned enough to call home and let the others know what was going on.

 

The likelihood was that as soon as she mentioned the Phantom, they would freak out at the prospect of a new enemy operating outside of Japan where they could not easily get to it. The only frontier for the battle against this potential threat would be her – Ami Mizuno by day, Sailor Mercury by night. No overpowered Moon magic, no mighty bursts of energy, powerful fire, lightening, sea or wind elements.

 

_Just me, myself and I_ , she thought bleakly.

 

She didn’t kid herself. Ami knew that Sailor Mercury was the weakest of the Solar System Senshi — barring Mamoru but he didn’t count seeing as he could not physically transform — and her role had always been intel first and foremost. Her powers were not built for damage but for support but here she had no one to support. More importantly there was no one to support _her_.

 

But she needed advice and there was no good sugar-coating anything.

 

She got up the video phone and started the call.

 

Almost immediately after the first ring there they were all, huddled around the computer screen — Usagi, Rei, Minako, Makoto, Luna and Artemis — all crying greetings over each other. They had not spoken to her for at least two weeks as she had been so completely tied up with studies. Usagi in particular had been sending many sad, lamenting messages saying how she hated not being able to speak to her every day.

 

‘Mamo keeps saying that a lot has to go into becoming a doctor, though,’ she sulked sadly. ‘So I _suppose_ I can understand…’

 

‘Nevermind that, though!’ Minako said keenly, clapping her hands joyfully. ‘Tell us more about London life. Have you been to all the attractions yet?’

 

‘The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace…’ Makoto listed off on her fingers.

 

Minako rolled her eyes, ‘I was thinking of Oxford Street, Regent Street…’

 

‘It is such a hub of culture and history!’ Artemis sighed happily. ‘Europe is such a wonderful place and British has such a distinct feel to it. Even way back when, it was in my top ten favourite places to visit in the Solar System.’

 

It would be a dream place for an intellectual such as him to visit, although naturally it would be hard for him in his cat form to sneak onto a plane without ending up in the strict British quarantine for six months.

 

‘Far too damp for my liking,’ Luna sighed. ‘And it used to freeze over something nasty back in the days of the Silver Millennium.’

 

Ami chuckled lightly, ‘I haven’t really had a chance to see any of those things I’ve been so busy with classes.’

 

‘Fair enough,’ Minako pouted before her face lit up again. ‘ _Buuuuut_ there **must** be loads of hot guys on your course, right? And all of them are training to be doctors too!’

 

She cooed dreamily.

 

‘Well, you’d have a lot in common with them,’ Makoto agreed, smiling. ‘They don’t just have to be hot. I-I mean I’d _love_ to meet a guy at the place I work at who could appreciate my cooking _and_ help me with it.’

 

‘Work?’ Ami repeated.

 

Rei turned to address the camera directly. ‘Mako got a job teaching at an evening school –cooking, sewing and floristry. A woman visiting my temple got her into it.’

 

‘Mako, that’s so _perfect_ for you!’ Ami gasped excitedly, genuinely pleased for her ‘Not only will it sharpen your skills but it’ll help you raise money to open your first shop!’

 

The tall copper-haired angel’s cheeks went noticeably red. She had to look away for the sake of modesty. Ami missed seeing all those quirks of her friends’ in real life — Makoto’s modesty, Usagi’s pouting, Minako’s inexhaustible enthusiasm for almost everything… ‘It’s nothing really,’ Makoto mumbled shyly. ‘But… I’m really enjoying it so far.’

 

‘Ooooo,’ Mianko suddenly cut in. ‘Tell her about your _secret boyfriend_!’

 

‘Mina!’ Makoto protested.

 

‘Boyfriend?’ Ami asked politely, very curious but also noting how embarrassed Mako looked.

 

Usagi clapped her hands excitedly. ‘Yes, he’s this guy who is teaching a literature class at the same place Mako works!’

 

‘Usagi, please stop!’ she begged. ‘It’s nothing, really. It’s not like that—’

 

‘But she won’t let us see him…’ Minako groaned childishly. ‘All we know is that he’s some really hot American guy, and—’

 

Makoto scowled and snapped: ‘ _He’s not American_! He’s… _um_ …’

 

She blushed as she had given the game away that there was a mystery man in her life.

 

Rei rolled her eyes. ‘These two even staked out the evening school to try and see him.’

 

‘But he was off sick!’ the two blondes groaned in unison.

 

Artemis shook his head, ‘Serves you both right for being nosey.’

 

‘And then some,’ Rei agreed.

 

This led into a bushel of words being thrown back and forth.

 

Everyone was so busy chatting over each other, trying to get a word in edgeways. Ami didn’t know if she should say anything and instead stared slack jawed as Usagi, Mina, Mako and Artemis spoke in unison. It took a sudden call for quiet from Luna to silence them: a distinct scratch on each of their hands. Only Rei seemed to escape the score — even Artemis wasn’t spared licking his wound literally.

 

‘Ami,’ the black cat said firmly. ‘What was so urgent that you needed to speak with us?’

 

She tensed up. Now she was about to tell them, she was scared of what their reaction would be. Still, she took a deep breath and spoke as quickly as possible.

 

‘I’m sorry but I’ve been keeping something from all of you for a few weeks now because… I didn’t want to worry you.’

 

Luna stared. ‘Do you have a boyfriend too?’

 

‘There’s no “too”!’ Makoto cried, clasping her cheeks. ‘He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my _friend_.’

 

Usagi giggled, ‘Even Luna is getting nosey!’

 

Unable to stop herself, Ami blushed. Thankfully the video quality was too low quality for any of them to notice.

 

‘It has nothing to do with boys,’ she said slowly, taking one last deep breath before blurting it out. ‘I have reason to believe — no, I am _certain_ at this point — that I have discovered a new enemy operating out of London.’

 

That got everyone’s attention as they all gasped and muttered over each other, trying to be to one who got heard.

 

‘We haven’t encountered any enemies since the defeat of Chaos!’ Makoto gasped, ending up being the loudest of them all. ‘Ami, are you sure?!’

 

‘I wouldn’t have said anything if I wasn’t,’ Ami said grimly.

 

That was the truth too.

 

Suddenly, Minako discarded her flighty personality and adopted the strong, resolute persona that was entirely Sailor Venus. It reminded Ami of her dreams especially; that was the only place where memories of the original Venus lived on in her mind now.

 

‘Who is this enemy? Minako asked. ‘What have you found out so far?’

 

‘Not a huge amount but I can show you what I have found,’ Ami replied.

 

She quickly connected her supercomputer to the laptop and began typing.

 

‘I’m sending through what little I have,’ she explained, first sending her small reports on the enemy in question. ‘He calls himself the Phantom. He always keeps his face obscured so it is difficult to get a good picture of him. This is all I have so far…’

 

There was a bing as the pictures came through on their side and they punched it up on the screen.

 

Luna stared. ‘Hm, I am not familiar with this person.’

 

‘I didn’t think you would be,’ Ami sighed.

 

‘He wears a hood as well as a mask from the looks of things,’ Minako pointed out, folding her arms and scowling. ‘He really doesn’t want anyone to see him, does he? What has he been up to, Ami?’

 

‘I’m not completely sure,’ she admitted. ‘Every time I come across him he seems to make less and less sense…’

 

It was at this moment she produced the ominous crystal, which she had sealed in a glass container for “security” purposes.  She was anxious about telling them what she had found out today but… if she was going to explain what happened the other night at Mr. Dunsten’s shop then she would have to tell them even if it made them worry more.

 

‘But I have this to show from our meetings,’ Ami finally said.

 

Rei scowled, ‘A… clear crystal?’

 

‘What did he do with it?’ Artemis asked.

 

‘I’m not sure how he’s doing it,’ she started to say, putting the crystal down, ‘but he is somehow projecting a dark aura through this crystals and others like it. At first I thought it was just to get my attention but the other night…’

 

It flashed through her mind again, that zombie-like teenager groaning at her. _“Core, core, core… find the core!”_

 

‘I think he used it hypnotise people,’ she continued. ‘A few nights ago, some of his victims attacked a new age-type shop belonging to a friend of mine. They said they were looking for… some sort of “core”.’

 

She paused for a moment to see if that word was familiar to anyone. Sadly, even Luna and Artemis seemed oblivious.

 

‘I still haven’t figured out exactly how he does it but I am guessing he is using stones like this to boost a signal that helps control the people,’ Ami describe. ‘I had to run all over town trying to disarm them. This one is from when I first encountered him. He used it to get me to appear.’

 

That sent a chill down everyone’s spines.

 

‘You mean to get you to appear as Sailor Mercury?’ Artemis said frantically.

 

She nodded slowly. ‘I don’t think he knows _I’m_ Sailor Mercury but he knows there is a Sailor Senshi in London.’

 

Minako closed her eyes in thought.

 

‘None of us have transformed in such a long time.’

 

‘There hasn’t been a need to,’ Rei stated, a sense of sadness in her voice. She genuinely seemed to miss the old days of almost always being Sailor Mars. It was a sentiment that Ami could understand although she didn’t completely share those feelings. Having the chance to just be Ami Mizuno had been nice for the short while it had lasted. To think she had thought going to London would be peace and quiet!

 

‘Have you done a scan of the crystal?’ Luna asked.

 

Ami bit her lip. ‘It’s… just an ordinary crystal when it isn’t active. I don’t know how he’s doing it but the Phantom is able to re-activate them at will, sometimes without my even noticing.’ She decided to keep his comments about having overheard all her conversations to herself. Even now, she was eyeing it cautiously.

 

‘Perhaps if we analysed it we could find out what type of crystal it is?’ Luna said, turning to Artemis. ‘It might reveal how he is doing it.’

 

‘No need,’ Ami said bleakly, her heart hammering. ‘I know what type of crystal it is. My friend’s uncle was able to tell me,’ and she paused with baited breath, ‘It’s a Goshenite.’

 

Everyone looked at each other.

 

‘Goshenite,’ Artemis repeated coldly, nervously. ‘Suddenly I feel a little uneasy.’

 

‘Huh, why?’ Usagi asked, blinking in confusion.

 

Luna answered, ‘Goshenite is an Earth-exclusive gemstone that was used in a lot of their magic… and it was beloved especially by a certain someone in our past.’

 

This part Ami had not known although she was not surprised. It confirmed her fears, though. But now could it be possible that _she_ of all people…?

 

‘Who?’ Rei asked, making the suspense all the more painful.

 

Artemis looked up ominously, ‘Lady Beryl.’

 

‘Lady Be—y-you mean Queen Beryl!?’ Makoto heaved.

 

‘But it can’t be!’ Rei snapped, and thrust her hand towards Minako. ‘Venus killed her! Twice! She’s dead.’

 

Usagi said nothing, having gone completely pale.

 

‘Will everyone calm down?!’ Luna hissed fretfully. ‘It is extremely unlikely that _Beryl_ has anything to do with any of this.’

 

‘Exactly, we aren’t saying she is!’ Artemis added forcefully. Then he looked towards the crystal sealed in the jar again, ‘It is the _significance_ of the crystal itself that concerns me.’

 

Everyone was all ears, especially Ami. While she was relieved that she wasn’t likely to be facing a “Neo Queen Beryl” of any sort she wanted to know why this crystal was so special. They would all be disappointed with the answer as Artemis scratched the back of his ear and sighed.

 

‘Trouble is that so much of that knowledge was destroyed along with Earth’s history after the end of the Silver Millennium was lost,’ he told them. ‘Even then, it was simply knowledge that the Moon Kingdom did not have. The Terrans were very protective of their magicks.’

 

‘Anything you can tell us would be helpful, Artemis,’ Minako assured him.

 

‘It’s all very convoluted but here it is,’ the white cat breathed heavily. ‘Earth was such a curiosity for the other planets due to the vast array of crystals and minerals that could be found here. Even Jupiter’s Moons paled in comparison to the sheer power and beauty of Earth stones.’ He paused, trying to remember the details properly before continuing, ‘If I remember correctly Goshenite was one of the most popular stones used to perform magic, especially the reflective kind.’

 

Everyone was silent.

 

‘What does that mean?’ Rei asked.

 

‘Simply put,’ Luna added, ‘It was used for crystal balls, improving eyesight, healing, enhancing metaphysical powers, heightening vision and dreams. Beryl – well, Queen Beryl – was a seer. That’s why she used them but she _by no means_ the only one to use them.’

 

Ami suddenly remembered – ‘That’s what Kris said. I mean, she’s a friend of mine. She called Goshenite the “seer stone” when she found out what it was.’

 

Luna nodded, ‘A lot of the superstitions of the old world have made their way through to the new, but the knowledge of how to use the stones is long since lost.’

 

‘The fact that this “Phantom” character is using Goshenite indicates that he has knowledge of Earth magic, but does not have the power to do anything other than use it to reflect dark magic,’ Artemis concluded.

 

‘Too bad we don’t know more about this Earth magic, though,’ Rei murmured.

 

It was then Usagi had a thought. ‘I could ask Mamo! He might know.’

 

Rei raised an eyebrow, ‘His memories of the past aren’t exactly… _stellar_ , even now.’

 

‘But he’s the closest thing we have to an Old Earth Expert we have!’ Minako declared, and nodded an approval to her princess. ‘Call him as soon as you can and ask him.’

 

Usagi nodded, just happy that somehow she and Mamoru could help Ami, even in a small way.

 

As this information overload sunk in, Ami looked down at the bottled crystal. ‘But we are _certain_ that the dark energy wasn’t emitting from the stone itself?’

 

‘Impossible,’ Artemis said. ‘They can only be used to reflect dark energy from another source.’

 

‘Ami, you will have to search for the source of that energy,’ Luna concluded.

 

It was then that Makoto cut in, raising her hands for silence. ‘Aren’t we all missing the point here? This man could be dangerous and Ami is out there all by herself!’

 

Ami had been so deep in thought that she could barely hear what her friend was saying. She looked up distantly and spoke quietly. ‘I can handle myself, Mako.’

 

‘But she’s right, you need to be careful!’ Rei protested. ‘If anything happens, just let us know and we’ll—’

 

‘There isn’t a lot you can do,’ Ami bluntly stated. ‘You’re a third-way around the world.’

 

‘Nonetheless,’ Minako said. ‘If you need any help or backup, let us know. We’ll help you all we can. This enemy is an Earth-bound one so hopefully there won’t be any monsters or lasers involved.’

 

Ami laughed for the first time in a while at that.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

They all looked at her, all smiling with happiness that she was well but sadness that something might be going on that they could not directly help her with. It was only after five seconds of no one saying anything that one lone voice, the one who had been most silent for the last few minutes of conversation chimed up.

 

‘Ami?’ Usagi whisperedwith a tiny smile on her lips. ‘All of this aside, how have you been, really?’

 

‘Really well,’ she assured her. ‘I’m really enjoying the course and the environment. Evil Phantom aside, I’m very happy.’

 

‘Studying in Europe has been your dream for years,’ Usagi muttered nostalgically. ‘Have you made any new friends yet?’

 

‘Yes, I have.’

 

She really had. They were _her_ friends – people she had met and bounded with all by herself. Kris was fast becoming a truly good friend to Ami – funny, independent, kind, sassy – she was someone she knew the others would just love. Then there was Dan who was an oddball but when it mattered always seemed to come through, even if he was a bit weird how he showed his affection.

 

Then there was Hugo. Just the thought of him made her chest tighten and her lips smile. But then her heart sank. _Should I tell them about him?_ Ami mused nervously. _What would they say if they ever_ saw _him?_ She was sure that if they did their reaction would match hers had been first time she saw him: _“It’s Zoisite! Kill him with fire or lightening or anything else you’ve got!”_

 

‘Who are they?’ Usagi asked keenly. ‘What are they like?’

 

‘Would we like them?’ Makoto added.

 

Ami realized what they were doing now. They were all smiling at the camera, keen and positive. They wanted to keep her calm, to cheer her up, to remind her that she really wasn’t facing this alone even if they couldn’t be right with her.

 

‘Ha, come on, girls!’ Ami chuckled. ‘You make it sound like I’m bringing a man home to meet you all!’

 

‘Which brings me back to my earlier point,’ Minako said, leaning forward with a leer spread across her face. ‘Any hot guys we should know about?’

 

Ami swallowed hard. All she could think about was Hugo all of a sudden: smile, long fingers, the bobbing Adam’s apple when he threw his head back laughing, that beautiful blond mane, and those speckled green eyes.

 

_God, what is wrong with me?!_

 

‘He… he’s just a friend,’ she whispered quietly. Just like Kris and Dan. Friend.

 

As soon as she said it, though, Ami knew she had made a mistake much like Mako had earlier. Immediately her head snapped up as she was ready to deny anything was going on… but it was too late, of course. ‘Oh, well, what I meant is—’

 

‘Uh-huh, “friends”, eh?’ Minako teased.

 

‘I knew it!’ Usagi cried gleefully. ‘Ami has boyfriend!’

 

Rei rolled her eyes, ‘Just ignore them, Ami.’

 

‘I was going to,’ Ami chuckled, trying to make light of the situation with a wink. It provoked a pout from Minako, but they both knew she was joking. ‘I’m in a study group with him – my friend – and two other friends. We met in gross anatomy but we go over more or less everything together. There’s Christabel who we all call “Kris” for short and then there is Daniel.’

 

‘Daniel,’ Minako repeated. ‘What a cute name!’

 

Gone again was “Serious Venus” and back was “Flighty Mina-P”.

 

‘He’s a bit of an oddball joker,’ Ami went on. ‘But Kris always keeps him in check. I think you all would _really_ like her. She’s very feisty.’

 

‘But what about the _other_ guy?’ Makoto asked, leaning on the heels of her hands dreamily. Boy crazy, as always! ‘What’s he like?’

 

She bit her lip, taking a moment. It was now or never. It wasn’t like she was showing them a picture or anything.

 

‘His name is Hugo. He’s… very nice.’

 

Her change in tone did not escape the notice of any of them. Of course, Usagi was the one to say what Ami was dreading. ‘Aah! I as just teasing before but Ami, you really do **_like_** him!’

 

That hit her like an iron bar on that back of the head.

 

‘W-what?’

 

‘It’s so obvious!’ Usagi said excitedly. ‘You _love_ him!’

 

‘I-I…’ Ami was genuinely speechless.

 

‘Is he handsome?’ Makoto carried on, smirking. ‘He must be! And I’ll bet he’s brainy, too. You’ve gone all flustered just saying his name.’

 

‘What does he look like?’ Minako asked.

 

‘What is wrong with all of you?’ Rei snapped, looking around at everyone. ‘It’s just a man - why can’t she just be friends with him?’

 

Ami was barely listening anymore. Usagi’s words rang through her head: _“You like him! You love him!”_ over and over again. It would be a lie to say she had never thought about it before yet being confronted with it by her friends had shaken her slightly.

 

Yes, there was no denying at that point that Hugo was very attractive and Ami was very attracted _to_ him. There was also a part of her than suspected – hoped – that he felt the same way about her. After all, had it not been him who asked her out for coffee and then offered to go with her to the New Age shop. True, he could have just been being friendly but then why had he been so awkward and shy when he asked her for coffee, like his heart was on the line?

 

Now it was there in her mind, she would never be able to forget it. She did like him and it was in that way.

 

Ami smiled to herself, amazed at how calm she was feeling at the prospect of – dare she even think it without breaking her smile? – _falling in love_.

 

‘He is very intelligent,’ she finally said, answering Makoto’s question. ‘He’s always the top of our class, which makes him a good study partner.’

 

‘Yes, “study partner”,’ Minako said with that suggestive tone again.

 

Artemis looked up at her and shook his head, ‘Oh Mina…’

 

Hearing him speak again reminded Ami of the thing she wanted to ask him. Even over the video he saw the gleam cast over her eyes. ‘What is it, Ami?’

 

‘This is a little off topic but…’ and she held up a poster of The Silver Knight game. After Dan had seen her express interest in the box art – or what he assumed was the box art – he happily gave her the little A5 poster, waving it in her face like a British Umino. _“This poster was **exclusively** released only here in Europe! Even Japan didn’t get this poster! I have three of them!”_ Of course, it was not just the character she had wanted to show Artemis but also the company logo in the bottom left corner. ‘Do you know anything about this game?’

 

Everyone stared at the poster.

 

Minako and Usagi both squeaked in unison. ‘That’s _Shirubā kishi_!’ the former stated immediately, before cooing. ‘Isn’t he dreamy? They’re calling him the male Sailor V.’

 

‘ _You’re_ Sailor V, Mina-P!’ Usagi giggled, tapping her friend on the shoulder.

 

Rei rolled her eyes, ‘You’re getting gooey over a video game character now?’

 

‘I’m kinda hoping for a crossover one day,’ Minako confessed, folding her arms and nodding. ‘Oooo! Multiplayer! _Sailor V vs. Shiruba kishi_ … wouldn’t you play that?’

 

Everyone decided to ignore them and turn back to Ami who was already surprised that the same was already known back home without her knowing it. ‘So it really is a game in Japan too?’

 

Rei turned away from the blondes and smiled, ‘Apparently. I don’t really play videogames much these days. Just watch Usagi and Mina bomb at them.’

 

‘I still go there,’ Makoto chimed in. ‘I’ve played it a couple of times and it’s great fun! It’s not as intuitive to me as _Sailor V_ is, though.’

 

‘Yes, well,’ Artemis said, head held up proudly, a little complacently, ‘I intended _Sailor V_ to be a training simulation for Mina. She’d have never got off her backside and done anything had I not.’

 

‘Hey!’ Minako growled, showing she was still half listening to the rest of the conversation amidst nerding out with Usagi.

 

‘But according to Daniel, _Shiruba kishi_ is a boy-version of _Sailor V_ ,’ Ami announced, looking down at the poster again. The way Silver Knight looked was a lot like how V looked. ‘He looks a little like you, Artemis.’

 

**_‘What?!’_** the white cat blurted, shocked at both the assertion that _Shiruba kishi_ and _Sailor V_ were part of the same “universe” and the accusation that the character looked like him.

 

Luna’s eyes widened and she stared at the poster. ‘Hm, now that you mention it…’

 

‘There is a resemblance,’ Makoto agreed. ‘I’d never thought about it before.’

 

Usagi smirked as Minako flicked Artemis’s ear playfully. ‘Did you want to be the hero of your own video game too, Arty _-tan_?’

 

‘Don’t be silly!’ Artemis shouted. ‘That guy looks nothing like me. For one thing, I’m a cat—but even when I’m _not_ a cat I don’t look exactly like that.’

 

‘Of course not,’ Minako agreed. ‘You purposely made yourself look buffer and more suave else it would never have sold.’

 

Even Luna giggled at that, to which Artemis immediately looked back at the poster Ami had shown them. ‘He looks nothing like me: his hair his shorter, it’s cut differently, he’s wearing bits of armour – although pretty impractically if you ask me – and most importantly… _I don’t know anything about this game franchise_.’

 

‘But how can that be?’ Ami questioned immediately. ‘The two games were made by the same company, I checked.’

 

She pointed out the starry-logo and the name.

 

Artemis’s brow noticeably scowled. ‘Well, obviously, the game was outsourced once it became popular. Once all of you started to awaken, Luna and I couldn’t just get by with the one machine – we had to make more. So I… sold the rights to the franchise in exchange for being able re-programme the games to suit my purpose.’

 

Minako’s eyes widened. ‘You sold the rights to Sailor V?!’

 

‘Don’t knock it,’ Luna sighed. ‘We used the money to properly upgrade the command centre.’

 

‘But I was Sailor V!’ the disheartened blonde pouted. ‘To think of all the royalties I could have got…’

 

Everyone just ignored her and turned back to Ami, who continued. ‘So it is NIJISUISHŌ who make the games now? And they know nothing about what the games are used for?’

 

Artemis took a full second before he answered.

 

‘No, of course not,’ he assured her. ‘Why? Have you heard something about them too?’

 

‘No, I just… was surprised never to have heard about it before,’ Ami finished.

 

The cat just smiled kindly. ‘Well, it never mattered to me how I brought the game to you girls, only that it helped keep you all safe.’

 

‘But if it makes you feel better,’ Luna cut in, having remained surprising quiet through most of the discussion. ‘We’ll look into it on our end too. Who knows? Maybe there is something in this “Shiruba kishi” thing. Could be connected to this “Phantom” person, eh?’

 

Ami was grateful for that. ‘That would be great, thank you!’

 

‘I’ll help them too!’ Minako declared, rolling up her sleeves. ‘Hard as _Shiruba kishi_ is, I have the high score on the game. You’ll need me to see the later levels.’

 

‘Um, I was thinking we would just hack one of the game machines and see ourselves but…’ Luna began, then looking between Mina and Artemis before giving an uncomfortable smile. ‘I suppose seeing the game in action won’t hurt either.’

 

 

*

 

 

Listening to the girls bickering, talking over each other and showing such concern for her had made Ami feel much better. It was like a weight off her chest. Plus it had been nice to hear what they had been up to as well as vent about her concerns about the Phantom.

 

With that aspect of her life at rest, she turned again to life here in London.

 

Getting out her supercomputer again, Ami flicked through a couple of pictures until she finally found the one she was looking for – the image of the shadowed figure outside the shop. Truth was she had almost forgotten about him and the picture she took. As such as she tried to improve the quality, there was no seeing any distinguishing features.

 

‘Are you the man that helped Mr. Dunsten?’ she asked the image.

 

Needless to say she got no answer.

 

‘I hope Hugo is OK after today,’ she suddenly added, completely off topic.

 

Now she had time to real think about what had happened today, Ami wondered if it really had been her fault that Hugo had become so tired so suddenly. He claimed he was no sleeping but he had seemed fine until the moment in the shop when he touched her and made everything feel so much better. Was that a coincidence or had it been something her body had unconsciously done?

 

She had never done it before – sapped energy from another being.

 

‘I’m overthinking,’ Ami declared out loud to herself, putting her computer away. It was time to go to bed, in any case.

 

Before she began the bed time rituals, she checked one last time to make sure the beryl crystal was secure in its air-tight glass prison.

 

_Until I am certain of what you are_ , she thought to herself. _I am not letting you or anyone else touch it again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much everyone for reading and hope you take the time to leave your thoughts on this latest update (and the rest of the story as a whole) as I love to hear your thoughts on the plot, characters or anything else that come to mind while you are reading this. Also as suggested by another reviewer, here are some questions to keep you thinking:
> 
> What are your thoughts on the Silver Knight game?  
> Do you think it could be connected to the Phantom?  
> Are you suspicious about the affect it appeared to have on Hugo?  
> Is Hugo in your good books - or your "wait and see" books? How about Dan and Kris?  
> What are your thoughts on the dreaded goshenite?
> 
> All things to consider, even if you don't have an answer. Do you have any questions for me? I just love hearing from you all. Hearing your thoughts is what keeps this story coming as your enthusiasm inspires me.
> 
> One last thing, I was thinking of doing a little tie-in piece called "Meanwhile in Tokyo". Now we are at this point in the story, I think it is time to see what the other girls are up to and how they are dealing with Ami's situation. No promises but it's "in development" as it were.


	8. ナイト - Angel

_Ami knew she was dreaming when the darkness of her mind lifted and she found herself walking through a wooded area at night. It was unlike anything to be seen today, so thick and lush that it was better described as a forest. She couldn't feel the cold although the ground, the bushels, the bare hanging branches - they were all caked with snow. Just seeing them made her feel stronger but she still did not feel the cold._

_That was how she knew she was asleep and she was Mercury again._

_Sailor Mercury, Princess of the Water Planet, was not unlike her human reincarnation in that she drew her strength from all things water based but it went one step further. A pure blooded Mercurial could stand freezing cold temperatures of negative 200 degrees Celsius – far beyond that of any human being and far below that of any temperature found on Earth. The blustering winds of a fierce winter on Old Earth were like a gentle breeze on a summer day to her. As a result, Sailor Mercury had ventured out without a cloak or anything covering her shoulders._

_She stopped to check her dress - the royal dress of the Princess of Mercury._ Perhaps she should have worn her senshi outfit after all? _she thought to herself._

_Looking up again she realised there was someone in front of her, leading the way. Her heart quickened as this shadowed figure without a face turned, whispering something that fell on death ears for Ami yet made Princess Mercury feel all the more excited._

_The spectre held out his hand for her. With only a dash of nervousness, Mercury smiled and took it, allowing him to lead her up a tall, grassy slope towards their goal._

_Staring at their entwined fingers, she realised he wasn't wearing gloves. His digits were like icicles against her palm, a rather lovely feeling for Mercury but it caused her concern all the same. Once they were at the top, she pulled him closer, encasing his one hand between her two, she lorded and lamented how it must feel to him._

_'Your hand is freezing!' she whispered woefully. 'Is it not painful?'_

_'Not anymore.'_

_His clasp tightened on her hold. Mercury met his gaze, she felt she might melt and turn to water here and now. Still, she did not let go and looked at his hand again._

_She tried to breathe on it._

_It had to be below freezing right there and then yet her breath was not warm – a Mercurial's body temperature always matched that of her surroundings, within reason: it was virtually impossible for them to freeze to death, or burn to death for that matter. There had yet to be found a temperature on any planet unsuitable for a Mercurial. In fact, the Princess of the First Planet hypothesised once that nothing short of a trip to the centre of the Sun would burn her, though naturally she was never tempted to test the theory. A somewhat more painful comment that floated around the Solar System was that Mercurials were "true cold bloods," owing to their temperature resistance._

_These words floated through her mind as she looked at those ungloved, milk white fingers. 'I... wish I could warm them for you.'_

_'They do feel warmer.'_

_'Liar,' Mercury chuckled despite herself before she began to pity his poor hand once again. 'It must feel like it's being encased in by an ice block!'_

_His hand took hold of one of hers and squeezed it gently. 'Nope,' he said humorously. 'You are definitely made of flesh and bone.'_

_True, that was something the supposed ethereal demi-goddess and this beautiful spectre seemed to have in common – they were organic._ Strong yet fragile _. However, Mercury felt all the more aware of how fragile_ this _night angel was. Though he seemed more comfortable in the cold than most human beings Mercury had encountered, his body was built for warmth and stability. Too long in this cold would be the end of him._

_Knowing this, she felt all the melancholia for his mortality. As cold as her body was it was he who most resembled a snowflake – enchanting, unique and fleeting. Her heart twisted in agony at the thought._

_She lifted his icicle fingers close to her mouth again, wondering if she dared to do what she most desired – to kiss them. Too frightened to follow through, she closed her eyes and thought quietly to herself:_

Even though you are freezing cold,

…you still feel so warm to me.

_He felt warmer than any Venusian or Martian. Of all the living creatures in the solar system, nothing Mercury had every encountered compared to the warmth of a human being. His warmth. It drew her in like the sun melting the snow in late spring. Every fibre of her body reached out for him like a spilled goblet of water spreading out further and further…_

_Until her mind caught up and reminded her of the vow. Not so much hers – his vow._

_His free hand lifted her chin, shocking her out of silence. 'Much obliged, my lady.'_

_She gasped at this touch. Like with the feel of his hand still clasped between her eternally frigid fingers, the moment he took her chin to lift her head a burning shot through her body._

So cold, yet so warm.

_He stepped closer to her, a longing sigh escaping her lips as he turned her slightly to look over the horizon. 'Look, it's started,' he told her._

_That was when her breath was truly taken away. She was greeted by what only could be described as a ribbon made of pure light slowly flittering across the evening sky. The stars were already looking clear and crisp in the pitch black landscape yet these lights seemed to eclipse them all. Green and deep pink flickered like the inside of a bubble._

_'I… have heard Earth had these.'_

_'We call them aurorae,' he whispered. 'I know other planets have them but Earth's magnetic field makes them some of the most colourful, I believe.' His chin rested on the top of her head, 'I suppose it pales compared to Mercury's solar trail, though.'_

_She swallowed hard. 'We call it the Night Solace on Mercury. Every night, amber lights blaze across the sky as our thin atmosphere is pelted and blown out into space… proof that even though our planet was all but destroyed by the disaster, it is never truly dark on Mercury.'_

_She looked up at her shadow prince._

_'Yours is stunning. The pinks, greens and reds – your planet is so strong and healthy… and beautiful,' Mercury muttered wistfully, leaning her back gently against his chest. She was surprised at how intimate she was letting herself be. She felt completely content, to stay like this for a while to come. 'I never realised how beautiful Earth was until you showed me these things.'_

_'Well,' he chuckled, speaking into her hair, 'this place is all I've ever known.'_

_'You haven't missed much,' Mercury said sadly. 'None of the other planets are what they used to be. They all look down at Earth with envious eyes…just like they did one thousand years ago. I know we Mercurials do. Our planet... it is a skeleton, dead and dying. Yours... it is so very much alive.'_

_'Hey, hey, Mercury is magnificent in my eyes,' he assured her. 'It made_ you _after all.'_

_Her heart fluttered in her chest._

_She turned away from the sights to look up at him. Even now, his face was shadowed. 'Thank you for bringing me here.'_

_His response was a boyish laugh filled with uncertainty, betraying his youth. It let her know that he was just as nervous as she was. Without even realising, Mercury's hands were clasping his forearms while his hands lay precariously on her elbows, ready to fall away should she choose to retreat._

_She did not._

_Then it happened. One of them had boldly done what the other had been too frightened to do - to kiss the other._ It had to have been him who finally broke _, Ami thought to herself. Mercury would never be so forward._

_'You are so beautiful.'_

_'So are you.'_

_The gates were open and Mercury melted into his hold as if her bones had turned to liquid. Never had she felt so immersed in such a primal action._

_It was extraordinary._

* * *

Ami woke steadily from the dream. She went from clutching to the shadowy masculine figure to burying her face into her pillow. Upon opening her eyes fully and seeing the streetlight shining in through her bedroom curtains the embarrassment set in.

She rolled into her back and touched her lips.

There were times when Ami wondered just how much of these Silver Millennium dreams were fictional jumbles of her own feelings. She also wondered why they were happening now, after all this time. Even when she first awakened she was never bombarded with these dreams, then once she remembered her past life they were few and far between.

It made her consider Guardian Mercury, her crystal sprite, the last remaining connection between herself and the original, true Princess Mercury. Was it the one her sending these dreams?

Sitting up, a sharp pain suddenly pierced her skull. She groaned a little, clasping her crown and closing her eyes again. Feeling terribly thirsty, she reached for her water bottle and gulped from it to try and ease the pain. It would not subside, though.

Opening her eyes again; they were clouded with black blotches.

'A migraine?' she whispered.

She reached into her bedside draw for some tablets to dull the pain when she suddenly thought to check the crystal. It was sitting, inactive in the glass container. Then she reached to unscrew the top. The moment the lid was opened, the aura shot through it and it began to glow.

Ami couldn't contain a small cry.

 _Doesn't the Phantom ever take a break?_  she thought to herself. Even talking inside her own head felt like an assault on her forehead.  _Is he the one doing this to me?_

She slowly tried to climb out of bed. If she could boot up her supercomputer, she could find where the aura was coming from this time. First, she contained her Goshenite again - not that it would make her feel any better - and got to her feet, barely. Just the feeling of being vertical made her feel nauseous.

 _Am I... just feeling sick?_  Ami contemplated. No, it was easier to blame the Phantom. Perhaps she would feel better if she transformed? Somehow she doubted it.

She shuffled towards the window. Fresh air - that would be perfect to make her feel better. Water and fresh air. In fact, it looked like it had been raining outside. That would make her feel better... some lovely  _rain_.

She tried to open the window but it felt too heavy. It took all her strength to open it.  _Everything feels so compressed inside my head_ , Ami whimpered, now clutching her forehead.  _What is wrong with me...?_

The window was open but Ami stumbled backwards onto the floor. She landed with a thud, hearing the glass container bounce on the carpet and roll away out of reach. Thankfully, she avoided hitting her head. Lying down again felt better but she couldn't stay down here. She had to get out there, pull herself together and confront the Phantom. This had to be a way of getting her to stay away but she wouldn't let him!

The fight was over, though.

After one attempt to lift her head and get to her feet, Ami blacked out.

* * *

_It was dark but she could hear large crowds all around her. Smoke filled her nostrils, blood was running down her arm, everything felt hot, stifling and she was trapped._

_Shoved to the ground, she still couldn't see. Even her scream falls on deaf ears._

_Then she hears it._

_'Mercury!'_

* * *

Ami woke up with a panicked start.

There was sunshine streaming in through the window and painting her blank walls with a healthy morning glow - but that was no concern to her. She sat up straight away to scramble to her feet... only to realise she was lying safe and sound in bed.

She stared at the floor, as if to prove to herself that was where she was.

Next, she felt her forehead. It was all better, no pain or problem. Not even the after affects of a headache remained. In fact, she felt fresh as a spring shower.

 _Had it... been another dream?_ Ami wondered.

But it couldn't have, it had felt so real! The dream of being Princess Mercury had been vivid but Ami had known from the off she was asleep. That pain and panic – that had all been real. It had to have been!

She turned her head towards her bedside table so quickly she almost cracked her neck. Everything was as it was when she first fell asleep. Her draw was closed, medication and supercomputer safely tucked away inside. Even the Goshenite was sitting there in the glass container. She definitely remembered dropping that but there it was...

 _It_ was _a dream, then?_

It was hard to believe after everything that happened in it but there it was. All the evidence pointed to it being a hallucination, right?

Then she opened her draw again and stared at her supercomputer.  _I never keep it in this draw._

Immediately Ami jumped out of bed to check the window. It was unlocked. That was when it dawned on her what had really happened: someone had been in her room.

Her first instinct was to check her bedroom door to ensure it was locked, which it was. They wouldn't have come in that way – so that left the window. It would make sense seeing as the intruder had not been able to lock the window properly, only close it.

Her thoughts then turned to her possessions. The supercomputer was still there, as was the crystal. A quick check of her bag with her purse in it proved that they hadn't been touched since yesterday. It seemed all this "intruder" had done was tuck her back in bed and tidy the room, as if he wanted her to think it  _had_  all been a dream.

Very quickly Ami began to doubt her own memories.

Deadlocking her window, she decided to get the day started with her usual routine. Thinking as she brushed her teeth, she was surprised at how healthy she felt. The pain from that headache was so real that it felt like the only part that had to have been real but she felt nothing. Better than she felt when she fell asleep.

Why did she feel so well and yet so off at the same time?

At that moment her communicator began to ring. It's alarm pierced the eerie calm of her room and made her heart burst through her chest as she scrambled for the wrist watch. Fingers shaking a little from the unnerving situation that she had found herself in. Even at that moment she wondered if someone was watching her. The Phantom had warned her he was always watching. She only hoped the container the Goshenite was in would block its signal.

Cautiously, she answered the call. At least she knew it could only be one of the girls, Luna, Artemis, or-

'Ami here,' she answered.

_'Good morning, Ami. Hope I'm not catching you too early.'_

'Mamoru- _san_!' she gasped, a little surprised he of all people was calling her. Usagi had promised to get in touch with him to help her father information on Earth magic; clearly she had done exactly that the moment she got off the phone with her. 'No,' she finally answered, sitting down on her bed. 'I imagine it's much earlier for you, isn't it?'

He was studying in America so he was a good four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and it was eight in the morning for her!

 _'I'm flying out to Japan for a few days leave,'_ he replied.  _'I have a plane first thing but I wanted to call you before I got in the air with what I know. I presume Usagi told you she was going to be asking me about you-know-what?'_

'Why are you being so cryptic?'

_'That "object of significance" - is it contained?'_

She presumed he meant the Goshenite. 'It's in a glass container.'

 _'I see,'_ he said slowly.  _'This may sound like an odd request but, just to be safe, try wrapping something around it.'_

'Around it?'

_'Yeah, like a blanket or a towel, something opaque.'_

Ami did just that, strange as his suggestion was, grabbing her towel and securing it inside, even tying it up. 'Why did I just do that, Mamoru?'

 _'My memories of Earth culture is hazy, as shameful as that is to admit,'_  he began immediately.  _'But I distinctly recall that when Goshenite was concerned, it was a custom to keep it covered with thick cloth after usage. It stopped anyone using mirror magic to spy on you using the stone.'_

'Because Goshenite is a seer stone correct?'

 _'Yes, keeping it contained inside glass will only stop someone from hearing you,'_  he warned her.  _'It won't stop someone from seeing you.'_

That was a nasty thought. That meant that the Phantom could have been watching her while she slept. It made her skin crawl.

Ami let out an audible 'Ugh!' before glancing over at the towel beneath which the crystal lay. 'Then it looks like I'll have to find something else to contain it in.' She then returned her attention to the conversation, 'So, you do remember the significance of Goshenite?'

 _'Not quite,'_ Mamoru admitted.  _'I must admit, I'd never given it much thought until Artemis mentioned it. After that, I put two and two together. My memories are fragmented, even now, but I remember how important gemstones were to the people of Earth; they were the source of great power.'_

'So, could it that the Phantom is a being - or reincarnated person - from the Golden Kingdom.'

He hummed skeptically.  _'If there is one thing I remember clearly, it is the shady individuals that caused trouble back then… and I can't think of a single person who matches the Phantom's description. Well, not that I have much to go on, mind.'_

'Neither do I.'

_'How frustrating! So, you can't even see his face?'_

'He doesn't just wear a mask. He wears a hood. Every part of his body his covered - all except his nose, really.'

_'Well, I can't be certain unless I know what he looks like.'_

'But what about his use of Goshenite? What could that mean?'

_'There were many uses for Goshenite. One of the uses, if it is the crystal I remember, was as a reflective surface. It allowed those without particularly strong magical powers to use the powers of others. The reason Beryl loved them so was that it allowed her to share her magic with others.'_

'…Which made it ten times worse considering she was being controlled by Metalia, right?'

_'Yes, well, not that she was always under Metalia's control but it probably didn't help once she was.'_

Ami bit her lip anxiously. 'So, the Phantom could be using these stones to reflect his magic… but what kind of magic can turn people into droning zombies?'

_'That I do not know. I'm sorry.'_

She heaved out a big sigh. 'I was hoping you would know more than that.'

A long pause followed where he said nothing, to a point where Ami wondered if they had lost contact. Then he spoke again,  _'It's a long story, Ami. A lot of the reason my power, memories, all of it is so limited is because, unlike you and the others, I am not as… "complete".'_

'Complete?'

 _'Earth magic is and always will be different from Moon magic and there is a lot that I'm willing to bet Queen Serenity did not know about this planet,'_ Mamoru explained slowly, choosing his words carefully.  _'As a result, when she destroyed life on Earth in order to stop Metalia, a lot of Earth knowledge went with it. It was a sacrifice that had to be made but it leaves us at a disadvantage. Now it seems someone with access to that magic has returned. And now we have been remade for a third time, since Sailor Moon restored us, I have lost even more of who I once was…'_

'But what about this Core? Don't you have any memory of that?'

_'…Core?'_

'Yes, that is what the Phantom is looking for, it's what the zombified people were screaming for. Just that one word: core.'

Quiet.

'Mamoru?'

_'I'm sorry, I don't know anything.'_

Such a blunt response, more so than anything else he had ever said. Ever.

'Nothing at all?'

_'No.'_

Another silence, now because Ami was at a loss on how to proceed. She had secretly hoped that Mamoru would have all the answers but no. Even now though she wondered whether he was hiding something still. The slow, reluctance in his voice made her wonder. He would never put any of them at risk, she knew that. He would die for Sailor Moon especially, and he knew how much friendship meant to Usagi…

But she wondered still.

'Are you sure that is all you know, Mamoru?'

 _'It's all I know that will be of any use to you,'_ he said immediately. It was as if he could sense she was suspicious of him. Maybe he could? He was a bit like Hugo in many ways, he had a strong intuition about people.  _'I'm sorry, Ami.'_

'It's… fine. You've told me all you can. Thank you.'

She might have hung up there and then, feeling oddly angry with him for some reason. Then he called out to her,  _'One thing you have to do though, somehow, someway, is unmask the Phantom.'_

Ami tensed up slightly, now whispering as she became weary of the crystal again, 'How am I supposed to do  _that_? I can barely get near him.'

_'Whatever it takes. If I could look at him, even for a moment, it might spark a memory. Things like that tend to be what helps me recall things from the Golden Kingdom.'_

It was a logical request. Truth was if she was going to get anywhere with finding out what the Phantom's game plan was, they would need to know who and what he was. If history had told her anything, it was that baddies from the past tended to come back with a vengeance one way or the other.

'Then that is what I will do,' Ami said conclusively, as if it would be an easy undertaking.

 _'Be careful out there,'_ Mamoru stated.  _'We still don't know what you're dealing with. I'll call again once I'm back in Japan. Keep us all posted.'_

'I will.'

She had to. Finding out who the Phantom was and hoping that Mamoru's inner Endymion might twig something was her only hope of getting the answers she really needed.

* * *

Once she was dressed and finally ready to face the world, Ami finally remembered it was Sunday. There was never anything to do on a Sunday except try and fill the time - so might as well fill it with some reading.

Still, there was a craving for coffee in her soul and all she could think about was the dreamy serving she had got from Tile Cafe. They were open on Sunday and would hopefully be quiet this time of the morning, so Ami decided to relent to her desires and get a Chai Latte. Now she knew where it was, it wouldn't be much of a walk.

Ami packed her book into her bag and set off immediately.

She breathed in the cool and slightly damp air of the autumn. There was nothing better than a Sunday morning walk when the rest of the world was having a lie in. It made Ami feel like she was the only person left on Earth, and that could be a peaceful feeling sometimes. She had always enjoyed her own company from time to time and being left to take in the glory of morning dew made her feel so content.

Tile Cafe seemed as mellow as Ami had expected and she didn't even bother to peak through the window, she just walked straight in. But as she caught the tale-end of a sentence, she was shocked by the only other patron there that early morning.

'You know he won't go, mum!'

'But if I take him home, I can keep an eye on him there—' the middle aged blonde woman said, immediately turning to look at the door when she heard the bell chime.

Ami froze still. 'Dr. Roser?'

'Oh, Ami!' the good doctor smiled, changing her tone straight away, trying her best to hide the concern from earlier. 'Good morning. It's always a little strange to see my students out and about.' Then she quickly presented her hand, 'This is my daughter, Helen, by the way.'

'Y-yes, we've briefly met,' Ami spluttered, only thinking how awkward it would be to sit and read a book with her own teacher nearby. What if she started asking questions she didn't know the answer to yet?

Then she looked up and saw Helen. 'Good morning.'

'Hiya, Ami,' Helen murmured, not trying to hide her tone as the good doctor had done. 'What can I get you, my honey?'

It was odd to think that Dr. Roser was Helen's mother, too. Up until this moment they had both still felt like extensions of Hugo alone.

That was when it hit her.

'Hm, a chai latte, thank you. Um, but sorry — has something happened?'

Mother and daughter looked at each other before Helen turned to make the coffee while Dr. Roser directed Ami to sit down.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest.

'It's nothing,' Dr. Roser began with a reassuring smile. 'Hugo isn't feeling well. I'm trying to convince him to let me look after him for today but, typically, he won't have it.'

'Hugo's unwell?' Ami repeated. 'Is he still feeling tired or is it something else?'

'He's just very lethargic,' the mother sighed. 'Nothing strikes me as serious else I'd have dragged him kicking and screaming to the hospital. He just doesn't take care of himself.  _He never has_.'

'His trouble is,' Helen cut in, bringing Ami's coffee over herself, 'is he has always put other people before himself. Very uncharacteristic for the youngest child, especially the only boy. Then, when he gets sick, he pushes through it rather than stepping back and taking a proper rest. He's just that sort of person.'

 _Utterly selfless_ sprung to Ami's mind, as if it were an automatic reaction. If there was something she had noticed about him, it was his tendency to avoid talking about what he felt. He never wanted anyone to worry about him, always protested he was fine even when he clearly wasn't and jumped to the aid of anyone else who might be in trouble.

The bottom line was that Hugo was a sweet-natured young man. His imperfections, while difficult to navigate as they almost all boiled down to family or coma, were minor compared to the moments of kindness and gentleness. Thinking of it made her smile yet knowing he was unwell made her anxious.

'Maybe I should check on him,' Ami whispered to herself.

'That might be a good idea!' Helen said, managing to overhear her. Ami blushed when she realised but smiled nonetheless. 'He seems pretty keen on you.'

Dr. Roser's eyes widened at that while Ami was certain her cheeks were getting even redder. Still, the kindly mother just smirked as she sipped her coffee. 'Ah, I see,' she said blithely. 'Then you might be the best person to reason with him.'

Ami looked down, 'I-If you say so.'

After a moment she realised she was staring at a very small necklace around Dr. Roser's neck. The chain was so short it was practically a choker but it gave her a good look at the centre piece. It was two birds taking flight, entwined as their beaks touched as if to kiss. Each bird had a blue gemstone embedded into it, yet they were clearly different stones.

'That's a pretty necklace,' she finally said, trying to distract them from the elephant in the room that was the peculiar relationship between herself and Hugo.

Dr. Roser immediately grasped it and regarded it with affection. 'Why, thank you! It was a birthday present from my children. Well, I say them, it was their father that actually paid for it.'

'We  _did_  pick it though,' Helen protested. 'And argued about it too.'

'What sort of stones are they?'

Ami leaned forward to look at the necklace. Thinking about it, this was likely something Kris would have liked too. She was the resident expert in stones, it seemed, when her uncle Cole wasn't about. 'I'm going to guess one of them is a sapphire.'

The elder woman nodded, and held her necklace out again to point out the correct stone. 'Indeed, this one is a sapphire,' she said, fingering the distinctly deep blue gem. Then she indicated the deeper, darker blue stone. Seeing it up close, flashes of violet revealed itself, like streaks in an evening summer sky, 'And this is tanzanite,' she finished.

'It's very beautiful.'

'Well, they have always been two of my favourite stones,' Dr. Roser sighed, letting the necklace go and looking up to face Ami again. The moment their eyes met the subject changed back to Hugo, 'If what Helen says is true you really are the best person to talk to him. He seldom bonds with anyone.'

'Oh, that's not true!' Ami protested immediately. 'He's close with Kris and Dan, too.'

'Who?' Helen said, a little comically.

Ami remembered that Hugo had said neither of them had expressed an interest in his "haunts" but it surprised her that his own sister knew nothing of his other friends. 'They're in the same lab sessions as us for pathology and gross anatomy. We… formed a study group together.'

Dr. Roser nodded, 'Yes, Hugh said something about that before. Kris… that would be Christabel Dunsten, correct?'

'That's her,' Ami affirmed.

Helen thought for a moment, 'Um, I know Colbert Dunsten in the square. Any relation?'

'She's his niece.'

'Oh,  _her_!' Helen gasped. 'Wow, I didn't know they were friends. Yeah, I've seen Christabel about. She usually helps her uncle run the shop at the weekend. Never spoke to her though. Like I said, you're kinda the first friend Hugo has ever "brought home".'

'Well,' Ami said shyly. 'It's not quite "bringing home", is it?'

She took a sip of her latte.

Dr. Roser and Helen looked at each other, smirking before looking back. Helen pointed upwards, 'This  _is_  where Hugo lives.'

Ami nearly spat out her coffee.

'O-oh,' she mumbled, blinking twice slowly. The ramifications of that sentence finally started to dawn on her. 'So, he's… upstairs right now?'

Helen smirked, 'That's right. He hasn't lived there long. Literally, he just moved in.'

'I see,' Ami whispered.

Knowing he was upstairs made her heart beat ever so slightly faster and she was certain she was blushing. A tiny gasp escaped her lips as she realised she was having this reaction right in front of his mother and sister.

Sitting up as straight as she could, hands in her lap, she looked them both in the eye and said, 'If you want me to speak with him, I will.'

'Don't feel obligated if you would rather not,' Dr. Roser chuckled, seeming to notice Ami's unease. 'We're only teasing. We can deal with Hugo ourselves.'

'Yeah, it's fine,' Helen agreed. 'We've been dealing with him for the last nineteen years, it'll be fine.'

'No, really,' Ami said firmly. 'I'd like to speak with him.'

They mother and daughter looked at each other. Just from the expressions of their faces, Ami knew they were feeling pleased with themselves for one reason or another.

Dr. Roser took one last sip of her coffee and gathered up her bag. 'Well, it seems that we're agreed Hugo won't come home with me,' she sighed. 'I think convincing him to actually rest for one day will be enough.' Then she shot a more serious look at Helen, 'But do let me know if you have any reason to think he's getting worse.'

'You know I will, mum,' Helen said, rolling her eyes. 'It's Hugo. He'll be fine.'

The elder woman nodded.

For the first time since this discussion begun, Ami truly saw the mother behind the doctor. Just looking at Dr. Roser's face she could see the years of fear she must have lived through when her young teenage son had fallen into a coma and remained in one for years. The way she was fiddling with her car keys, staring firmly at her daughter, it revealed that a part of her - even now - feared that her son could collapse and never wake up again.

Ami's heart tightened. She wondered if that was truly possible…?

She managed to smile, 'I'll talk to him, doctor. I promise.'

Dr. Roser gave her a grateful look. 'I do appreciate it, Ami, and I apologise for this rather  _unusual_  request.'

'Not at all.'

She watched as Helen walked her to the door and saw her off. Once Dr. Roser was gone, the younger woman let out a deep breath of relief and turned back to Ami. 'Sorry, she does worry sometimes,' she explained.

'She seemed pretty controlled to me,' Ami assured her. 'Well, until just now.'

'Generally, yes, she's pretty calm,' Helen agreed. 'But as soon as she remembers—um, well, anyway—sometimes she gets sensitive.'

Ami leaned in closer, 'I'm guessing it has something to do with… the coma.'

The moment she said that, Helen relaxed. 'So, you know about that?'

She nodded.

'That's good,' Helen breathed. 'Then I can speak frankly — whenever Hugo gets like this, we always wonder, worry… you know?'

'I understand,' Ami said. 'It happened so suddenly, didn't it?'

'There was no warning at all,' Helen said distantly, the events of that time coming back to her fresh as if they were yesterday. 'I was only eighteen, just beginning my Pre-Medicine Course… you can't imagine how terrifying it was to be called home after a fortnight to be told your baby brother had collapsed suddenly. They didn't even know why!'

She swiftly rushed back towards the counter, feeling herself getting worked up. Ami watched her with nothing but sympathy. Seeing reactions like this were so wonderfully human. Hugo had a family who loved him and never wanted to relive those torturous years ever again. She wondered if he realised how frightened his family were for him. Well, she would find out soon — she decided she would ask him straight.

_Or in a round about way._

Ami returned to the counter as well and got out her purse.

'I'll take his usual up too,' she said lightly. 'I'm sure we can coax his door open with coffee.'

Helen winked, 'Good thinking.'

* * *

Ami made her way up the narrow, curved stairs with the two cups in hand while Helen stayed downstairs to serve the customers. She would be facing Hugo one-on-one, and her chest felt tight as she approached the landing.

Coming to the black painted door with a metal "1B" nailed to it, she rested one of the mugs on the banister. With just a second of hesitancy, she knocked firmly on the door. The wood felt painful against her knuckles. It likely wasn't helped by the fact she was shaking ever so slightly.

Her hand withdrew and she heard movement on the other side. It stopped right in front of the door, waited and then called out.

'Helen,' Hugo's cracked voice rang out, ' _Please_  tell mum to go home. It's just a freaking virus! I'm awake and-'

'It's, um, not Helen,' Ami's own voice creaked out. 'It's... me.'

She felt no need to say her name; the moment Hugo heard her voice his shadow seemed to recoil in shame and embarrassment.

'O-oh,' Hugo finally eked out.

He stepped back further.

'Right. Um, g-give me a moment,' his voice shook. 'I'm, um, not quite... ready to open the door...'

All Ami could imagine in that moment was Hugo in nothing but boxers. She licked her top lip before biting down hard on it, ashamed of her thoughts. She looked down at the shadow again as it swiftly retreated, leaving her in silence to warm her hands on the still steaming coffee cup. This was a fairly cramped accommodation here - she wondered who lived in "Flat 1A" down the landing.

Finally the shadow of Hugo returned and she heard the latch rattle. Before he physically opened the door, he paused. 'I'm sorry… I'm not looking all that great today.'

'Your sister said you were unwell. I came to check you were alright.'

She could practically hear his nod as he finally opened the door.

Her gaze fell on him. He was wearing a very thin, white, short-sleeved shirt and a tired looking pair of PJ bottoms that were not fully tied. It seemed Ami's previous thought about the boxers was not too far off the mark. His hair was disheveled and wild, more so than usual. He had wild blond curls that Ami found beautiful on his better days; right now they were barely contained. He had likely rushed off to cover his legs and tie his hair back, which was probably loose seeing as he was at home and not expecting company.

Ami held up the coffee mug with a smile. 'I bring a gift.'

'The gift of caffeine!' Hugo joked groggily, stepping aside. 'You may enter, then.'

She turned to pick up her own coffee and walked into the tiny little room.

His front door led straight into the living room and dining area, which had a kitchen to the left side, two doors in front, and a small window to the right. All in all, the room she was standing in couldn't be more than 3 metres across from kitchen wall to tiny, dim window. With all his furniture crammed inside, it felt very cluttered. A lot of items were still in boxes but then again, Helen had said he had only recently moved in. His coffee table alone was covered in books and papers, and she spied a fleecy blanket unfolded on the sofa. She guessed that's where he had been until now — studying, not lying in bed catching up on sleep.

She caught a glimpse of a copy of the Sunday paper, though:

_MASKED KNIGHT SEES OFF ANOTHER HEIST._

Immediately, she tilted her head to have a look.

_"The Guardian of Old London Town saves the day again as three caught in jewellery shop heist."_

The article went on to describe how a group of thieves had broken into a jewellery shop on Bond Street. They were apparently trying to steal several priceless, uncut jewels kept in the workshop there. It was then the young hero arrived to restrain the criminals and call the police  _"as if he were the Silver Knight from the popular video games series in the flesh."_

Ami took a moment to take it all in.

 _The Phantom was active last night!_ she realised, scowling.  _And this mysterious masked guardian, is he the guy I saw outside Cole's shop two nights ago?_

'It's a  _real_  mystery, huh?' Hugo's voice suddenly chimed out. He spoke so loudly she nearly dropped the coffee cups in shock. He nodded towards the paper, 'I wonder who he is. It's been a year since he first appeared. They've never been able to get a decent picture him.'

Ami looked at the article: they had a picture of the shop that was broken into but not the man himself.

She then looked at the astray blanket. 'I see you've been studying,' she said, changing the subject.

He rolled his eyes comically and beamed.

'Don't you start! I can't sleep during the day so might as well get some reading done.'

Ami walked over to the tiny kitchen counter to put the cups down. 'Tiny kitchen,' she giggled. It was small to the point of being cute.

'It suits me well seeing as I don't do a lot of cooking*,' Hugo confessed immediately. 'I tend to just have sandwiches.'

She stared at him, 'Everyday for every meal?'

'No,' Hugo smirked. 'Sometimes I have a roll, a baguette, or ciabatta. Then, if I really want to make an effort, I pop it under the grill and have it warm.'

He sounded like he was joking so Ami laughed, but she imagined there was a hint of truth in that.

Time to get back on topic. 'I'm guessing your mother has been telling you to rest.'

'Like a true doctor,' he sighed. 'And too but you already know that, don't you?'

'I ran into Dr. Roser on my way in,' she explained. 'She and Helen told me this was where you lived.'

Hugo nodded, slipping his hands into his pyjama bottom pockets. 'I was going to tell you myself. You know, once I'd tidied up a bit.'

She looked around, 'It doesn't bother me.  _If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind_ …'

 _'Of what then, is an empty desk a sign?'_  Hugo finished, chuckling. 'Albert Einstein.'

Ami could feel her whole brain light up song with her eyes. 'He's always been one of my heroes.'

'And mine,' Hugo agreed, walking over to the other side of the counter to face her. 'He was a great example of a man loved for his mind and wit and brilliance. Bit of a player despite it all, too.'

She looked down, 'When I first read  _The World as I See It_ , I was only ten. I wanted to marry him — he had such a brilliant mind.'

'That's funny,' Hugo chimed in. 'When I was twelve and first read  _Relativity_ , I wanted to  _be_  him.'

'Maybe in a previous life?' Ami joked.

Hugo, it had to be said though, was a bit too beautiful to have been a reincarnation of the man.

He sighed and picked up his mug of coffee, gesturing over to the "living room", if it could be called that. 'I'd be happy just to have been his  _student_  in a previous life.' He sat down at the table. 'Come on, before they get cold.'

Ami grabbed her own mug and sat down in the chair to the side of him. 'Wrap up in the blanket if you're feeling cold,' she said, looking at it still cast aside.

'Nah, I'm okay,' Hugo said quickly. 'And, um, sorry again for the mess I'm in. I didn't think I'd be seeing anyone today.'

She shook her head, 'I'm the one who should be sorry. I dropped in unannounced but… when I heard you were ill I was a bit worried. Helen thought it would be a good idea if I spoke to you…'

There was no point in adding Helen's reasoning.  _He's pretty keen on you_. It would just embarrass him. Just thinking about it made Ami embarrassed too.

'I guess she knows I'm more likely to listen to you…' Hugo said quietly, speaking into the rim of his cup.

She could feel her heart dodging a few beats. 'She did say something like that.'

A silence past them by.

'I was worried about you,' he finally said.

She blinked, 'Worried about me?'

He glanced up at her coyly. 'Yes, I just mentioned it in passing to Hel after I got back last night that you hadn't been well and… I was worried.'

'You were the one who had that sudden attack!' Ami stressed, gripping the hot mug so tightly that were she Makoto or Haruka she probably would have smashed it. 'I was fine after what happened at Cole's shop. But you—'

Hugo scratched the back of his head. 'I don't know, I was just worried about you. I never think about my attacks, seeing as they happen so…'

His voice trailed off. Now it was Ami's turn to finish his sentence. Her brow creased with worry, 'Because they happen often, you mean? Hugo, is that true?'

He moved a few papers aside to put his mug down and placed his palms together. 'I don't want to worry you.'

'It's too late for that,' she said firmly. 'I'm already worried, and I'll keep worrying until you tell me the truth so  _please just tell me!_ '

There was a moment of understanding between Hugo and Ami. He looked in her eyes and his face softened as he realised how much she truly seemed to care. It felt natural to her though. From the moment they started to bond and become friends, a part of her felt drawn to Hugo, like she had been waiting to meet him her whole life.

With a deep sigh, he twisted his mug around in circles, bit by bit. 'It's a slog of a story. Sure you want to know?'

'What is "slog"?' Ami questioned, then abandoned that query immediately. 'Whatever it means, I need to know, Hugo. I… I'll just worry if you keep it from me any longer.'

Hugo chuckled, 'Okay, okay. I'll tell you.'

 _Guess I'll never know what "slog" is_ , she thought jokily, knowing she didn't care.

'It means "annoyingly slow",' he answered, giving her a cheeky look.  _Mind reader._  'Here goes: truth is when I was a kid I was always a little weak. It wasn't really illnesses I would catch, just feeling weak in the mind and body. Not just that either — I got a lot of headaches and two-second blackouts. Even before… what happened happened… I had hundreds of body scans and blood tests but they never found anything physically wrong with me. It's just something beyond the body, like I'm missing a metaphysical kidney…or fully functioning immune system.'

They both chuckled at the joke.

Ami tilted her head, 'Your doctors never found out why?'

He shook his head, 'My dad is a neurosurgeon, as you know. Every couple of months he would have me checked with MRI and CAT scans galore. Never found anything but he was paranoid he was missing something.' After a moment's contemplation, he added, 'Perhaps he did, considering what happened.'

'Didn't the doctors ever have a clue for what caused your coma?' she asked delicately.

'Never,' Hugo said. 'I don't even remember what happened the night I collapsed and next to nothing about the years I was asleep. They said I should have just been dreaming, judging by my vitals but, like most dreams I remember very little.'

'How long did it last for?'

He shrugged, 'Two years, maybe? I… I really don't remember. I don't care. All I knew when I woke up was that I had to make up for lost time. I had to. I just wanted to forget any of it had happened but… no one would let me.'

Ami looked down at her coffee. 'No wonder you "bit my head off" when we first met.'

He smiled, 'Getting used to the Britishisums?'

'The what?'

'Never mind,' he assured her. 'And I'm sorry again I was so standoffish when we first met. I guess my social skills still leave a lot to be desired. I'm… a bit of a nasty piece of work when I go on the defence.'

'I think you're very charismatic,' Ami promised. 'It's one of your strong points. You make people feel comfortable very easily.'

'You think so?'

'Yes,' she said, her smile widening. 'After how I acted towards you, you made me feel at ease straight away…' Another pause as she looked up at him, 'You just have that gift about you. You're the one who makes everyone smile.'

Hugo burst out into a creaky laugh. 'Ha! Well, I wouldn't go  _that_  far.'

'You make  _me_  smile,' Ami admitted, her cheeks pinking. 'When I came here to England I was worried that I would miss my friends too much and while I do miss them, I still smile.'

He looked down, hiding a shy and nervous smile. 'I'm glad… but Kris deserves some credit too, right?'

'Oh, of course,' Ami agreed quickly. 'And Dan too.'

He said nothing, just nodded.

'But,' she went on, a little surprised she was saying this at all. 'There is something about you, Hugo. Something that makes me feel happy, maybe even happier than when I am at home.'

He looked at her, tickled pink.

It was true. Her life with the girls - with Usagi and the other said senshi - it was a life of contentment, not complete happiness. A part of her felt guilty for admitting that to herself, let alone another person. It wasn't that she loved her friends any less, just that she felt happy to have a life and existence that was hers alone.

Her eyes met Hugo's to see an expression that was brand new; flattered, moved and a little thrilled to hear this. Like he had been feeling the same way too. The room felt a lot warmer after this. Ami had to put her mug down and brace her hands against her knees. 'I hope I haven't embarrassed you.'

He smirked, 'Not at all. In fact, I feel better than I had before.'

Nothing but a small, kittenish smile crossed Ami's lips.

The whole atmosphere was changing to something different, something like her dream last night. Realising this made her heart quicken.

Had this been a romantic novel or one of those ecchi books* Ami kept hidden under her bed (and would never admit to owning), this may well have been the moment where the two leads would kiss. A part of her thought back to her dream last night, when she kissed the shadowy night angel whose face remained hidden, and she imagined just for a second that it had been Hugo.

They seemed to fit perfectly.

These thoughts seemed to be going through Hugo's head as his eyes glazed over. He was about to open his mouth to speak but then Ami realised something —  _oh God, he can read minds!_

She shrunk away, clutching her cheeks and turned her whole body away from him. 'I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry I—' and she glanced over to see him looking at her, bewildered. 'I didn't mean to… think those things…'

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, saying nothing.

Ami pulled herself together and turned back to him. 'I'm… not very good at this sort of thing…'

'It's fine, Ami,' he assured her softly.

Hugo adjusted his position to sit cross legged on the sofa. 'It's completely fine,' he assured her. It seemed he needed to recover from whatever the tension in the room had been too. 'I… didn't really hear much.'

He had probably heard enough but he didn't seem put off. If anything he seemed more concerned that she was so embarrassed she would never come near him again. This thought must have been shooting through Ami's mind and he quickly added.

'I didn't hear anything you need feel embarrassed by.'

She made a tiny smile.

'And for what it's worth,' he uttered. ' _I'm_  no good at this sort of thing either. I'm fine when it comes to my friends but… I get pretty weird and anxious when it comes to… expressing my real feelings in… situations like this.'

He was struggling for words as much as Ami was for breath. This really was a new situation for her.

Their eyes met.

He looked serious. 'Does… what I said bother you?'

She shook her head. 'Not at all.'

'Okay,' Hugo struggled out. He was the same way he was the other day when he asked her out for coffee. 'So, tomorrow I'll probably be feeling better — if you're not doing anything…'

'No!' Ami replied immediately. 'I mean, yes, I'm not doing anything.'

Nothing important.

'Well, do you want to… do  _something_?'

She felt her heart quicken. 'Something?'

'Well,' Hugo went on. 'My sister Sophie sent me some tickets to a preview to an exhibition at the NKM that her too-old-for-her boyfriend is heading up.'

'Too old for her?'

'He's, like, thirty something,' Hugo responded. 'She's twenty-one.'

'Ah, quite a gap then. What is the exhibition?'

'I'm not entirely sure,' Hugo confessed, reached over to his desk to try and find the leaflet. 'However he has been excavating a previously unknown territory in Iceland for the last five years. He discovered two abandoned villages under a glacier, thought to be thousands of years old.'

Indeed, the front of leaflet was a diptych with a very beautifully crafted from a white material, probably ivory. It was tagged:  _"The collection that has turned history on its head. The 15,000 year old civilisation of Northern Europe."_ History was not Ami's strongest suit but it seemed interesting nonetheless. Plus, frankly, she was not going to turn Hugo down.

'It sounds interesting,' Ami said. 'What time does it start?'

'At about half-five,' Hugo replied. 'We can get there after pathology.'

'If you're happy to take me, then I'm happy to come.'

His smile widened.

'Great!' he said cheerfully. 'Truth was I was dreading going but now it'll be worth while.'

Ami blushed yet again, 'Why were you dreading it?'

'Because all three of my sisters will be there,' Hugo replied. 'And my mum.'

She chuckled at that, 'It seems my "bingo card" is filling up.'

It took a moment for him to remember the joke he had made the other day. Once he did, he just sniggered and gulped down the last of what was probably lukewarm coffee. 'Good luck catching a glimpse of my dad,' he warned her. 'He's as rare and elusive as a unicorn… or the Masked Knight.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *A common fan theory is that Zoisite can’t cook, to the level Usagi or Minako can’t cook or perhaps worse. I tend to agree so Hugo can’t cook either. If he had a choice, he would just eat toasties all the time.
> 
> *Naoko Takeuchi confirmed that Ami reads ecchi books in a picture she drew for the 3rd Artbook. For those who don’t know, ecchi is a rude to refer to non-graphic erotica (usually manga or graphic novels) where sex is eluded to but not shown.
> 
> Questions for the "book club":
> 
> \- What do you make of Ami's dreams? Are they memories, messages or musings on her day to day life?  
> \- What about Ami's second dream involving her collapsing?  
> \- How do you feel about the prospect of Ami and Hugo's "second date" at the museum?  
> \- Any other thoughts or theories? I would love to hear them. :)


	9. エコー - White Noise

Ami stayed at Hugo's flat a little longer before she decided it was time to head home. She had to get some reading done for tomorrow and she was already terrified of falling behind. However that was not what really concerned her. Like a horrible smell, memories of that morning's conversation with Mamoru danced through her head and got her worried all over again.

 _I have too much to worry about_ , she thought anxiously. Reading for pathology and the Phantom – _guess which one worries me the most!_

Hugo's eyes watched her silently. 'I've already kept you long enough,' she muttered meekly. 'You aren't well so you should get back to bed… and maybe call your mother to reassure her you're OK…'

Her change in demeanour was obvious to Hugo. As she picked up her bag to leave, he followed after her, seeing her to the door.

'Something's worrying you,' he said bluntly.

Ami looked up at him with wide eyes. The last thing she wanted was to make him think it was because of him. She immediately worried that he would mistake her sudden awkwardness for regret. She found herself chanting in her head: _It's nothing to do with you, Hugo. I promise._ Over and over again, faster and faster those words whirled through her mind.

'It's just I've fallen behind on my reading,' Ami said slowly. 'I really should get going else I'll never get it done.'

Hugo folded his arms, clearly not convinced. 'Well, I won't keep you either, then.'

'Thank you, Hugo,' she immediately nodded, her heart quickening a little. Her eyes were completely drawn to his posture which, though it showed he doubted her, was calm, relaxed and comfortable. It could trick her into feeling the same way, almost. She was still conscious of her thoughts. 'A-and thank you for the invite to the museum,' she swiftly added with a higher, brighter tone. 'I'm looking forward to it.'

It was true. She had enjoyed their small coffee date together and now the thought of spending the whole evening with him without Christabel or Daniel around was pretty exciting. She didn't know what to expect, and she wasn't quite sure yet how to feel. If this led to another date, would that make them officially dating? Would they have to tell the others? Would that make it awkward for Dr. Roser to be her tutor?

 _She might use me as a go-between,_ she thought to herself. _I hope that doesn't happen!_

Ami caught a confused look flash across Hugo's face. He bit his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes, as if trying to concentrate.

 _Is he trying to hear my thoughts?_ she wondered, suddenly panicked. _He wouldn't, would he? Not on purpose—_

'No, I **wouldn't**!' Hugo quickly blurted out, panicked. 'I-I promise I would never—um, that is.' He started his sentence again. 'I was trying to block them out.'

 _What?_ she thought. 'My thoughts?'

He nodded, twirling his index finger at the point of his temple. 'Sometimes, if I think really loud inside my own head, I can block out the thoughts of others. It can make it really hard to concentrate, though.'

'Oh,' Ami mumbled, looking down. 'I… I see.'

She shyly glanced up to gaze at his face, now relaxed again. _Guard down_ , she thought. A small smile crossed her lips. His achingly handsome face, made all the more beautiful by how laid back he looked.

 _His hair is incredible_ , she mused, focusing her eyes on its curly blondness. _Rippling from base to tip_.

Hugo looked down and chuckled. His milky cheeks were tinted the slightest shade of pink.

Ami gasped, 'O-oh, you heard _that_?!'

He inclined his head to the side. 'Yes. _Very_ clearly.'

'Oh my God!' She covered her mouth to stifle another audible gulp. 'I-I-I'm so sorry. I… I really should—'

'What?' Hugo snickered. His blithe, rosey expression made him look all the more handsome. 'You have nothing to apologise for. What are you supposed to do? _Not think?_ No, it's me who should apologise.' He took a deep breath. 'I really should try and find a way to switch it off. It's just so new to hear someone's thoughts so clearly…'

'New?' she repeated. 'So, you haven't always been able to do this?'

'Oh, I've always been able to _do it.'_ His eyes peeked down at her, trying to hide another smile. 'It's just never been quite as clear as with you.' He took a small step towards her and whispered, 'You are a _loud_ thinker.'

Her heart sped up again. _Was it possible to even think loudly?_ 'So… you can always hear _something_? Or are there times when people's thoughts—?'

'Fall on deaf _auditory cortex_?'

Ami couldn't help but giggle at his drollness.

'I'm not entirely sure,' he shrugged, returning to his uncertain awkward self. It reminded her of when he first spoke to her about his coma. It was like he was apologising. 'Most thoughts sound like white or pink noise to me. Like the murmurer of a computer monitor but more organic.'

He stopped to look at her wondering if he should go on. Ami could feel her eyes gloss over as she focused entirely on his voice.

'Then, now and again, I will randomly hear a voice so clear that I could have sworn I heard it with my own ears. But then I'll look at the person and their mouth won't be moving. Yet I will hear random words bleat out from them, clear as I'm speaking now.'

Their eyes met again. His face broke into another smile, 'I guess some people think louder than others.'

Ami blinked and looked away. Would she have to be careful about what she _thought_ around him? She hoped it wouldn't come down to that. After all, she had so many thoughts going on in her head out side of academic concerns. There was the Phantom, the crystal, her business as a Sailor Senshi—

Her head whipped up so quickly she almost cracked her neck. Had he heard any of _that_? Then she wondered, _Would he even have understood what any of it meant if he had?_

Hugo tilted his head, 'Usually the more nervous someone is, the clearer it gets.'

Though she knew she was blushing again, a small smile crept across her face. She looked up again, 'I think I understand now.' Her heart was beating so fast she was certain he could hear the blood rushing through her brain if he wanted. Placing her palms over her chest, she realised just how quickly her heart was beating. It was practically humming.

 _If I think like this you can hear it, right?_ she thought intentionally.

Hugo laughed, 'Something like that.'

He sighed. 'As I said, it isn't _always_ like that. Very rarely is it like that. Sometimes I'll just hear a whirring or whooshing when suddenly a random word will jump out. Money. Helicopter. Bills. Really random, random, _random_ words. Sometimes it's all I need to know what someone is thinking, and then sometimes I can tell just from the _whirring_ sound what someone is feeling—'

He abruptly stopped, his face fading into mild surprise.

'What's wrong?'

'It's just,' he chuckled despite himself, 'I've never really talked about this before. I've always been able to do it but no one has ever asked me about it and it never crossed my mind to tell anyone. I just kept it to myself, thinking I was making it up or just… really intuitive. Or mad!'

He groaned very, very loudly and flopped louder still against the door, suddenly unsure of himself. 'God, I probably _do_ sound like I'm mad!'

Mad meant "insane" in British English, Ami reminded herself. She saw him smile again so she guessed he heard that.

'That's what _you_ think most of the time,' he explained. 'Just random English words as your brain buzzes away, trying to find the one you want.' And he looked at her to add, 'You're so cute.'

 _Cute means "adorable" in English_ , she thought with a deeper blush.

Hugo smirked, and added, 'It is " _kiwamete_ _kawai_ ".'

Ami breathed sharply.

Every part of her felt light, frightened and excited at the same time. Extremely, exceedingly, incredibly. Now she was just bleating English synonyms for _kiwamete_. They were such odd words to go with "cute" but when told in his voice, by his tongue, it made sense. He was expressing a sense of passion, of great pleasure. Frankly, Ami thought her whole body might just give way underneath her. She clutched her hands against her chest in a bid to calm herself down. She thought she was making a fool of herself; one look at Hugo's face showed he was immensely enthralled by her reaction.

He took a very conscious step back. 'Sorry, I'm making you uncomfortable.'

The distance between them had felt noticeable. The puff of air hit her bared skin and the hairs on her arm rose, then bubbled up… but no rash or irritation. That was her usual reaction to these situations. It was her body's way of saying that Hugo was _different_. It was remarkable how he made her feel uncharacteristically wild yet natural at the same time.

She rubbed her goosebumps.

She couldn't remember the last time, if any time, a man had drawn her in quite this much. Looking at him right now, he was so familiar and yet not _Him_ familiar. Not Dark Kingdom or dangerous. The more she got to know him, the less like Zoisite he became.

 _But then I didn't actually know Zoisite at all_ , she concluded.

Hugo turned to the door. 'I'm keeping you from your reading, aren't I?'

Ami shook her head, 'Oh, no, no… I'm distracting _you_. Um, but you're right, I should be going.'

He opened the door for her.

'Just remember I'm pretty _open-minded_.'

She glanced up at him curiously. Another array of words ran through her head before she smiled, 'Ha, funny.'

'Thank you,' he nodded, pleased to have broken the ice again. Then his tone shifted again to general, helpful, normal Hugo. 'But seriously, Ami. If something is troubling you, even if it's something you think I won't understand, just… know you can try anyway,' he clarified, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. His lips then spread into a warm smile. 'You'd be surprised at just how mellow I am about most things.'

His choice of words made it difficult for her to understand completely what he was saying, and she guessed just by his tone that he was being purposely vague. She knew he was trying his best to be supportive, though.

'Thank you, Hugo,' Ami nodded, looking down at her feet.

Her heart seemed to be in control of what she said next, rather than her brain:

'Perhaps, once I've worked it all out in my head, I could tell you,' she stumbled out. 'But it's a bit too up in the air right now. Nothing for you to worry about, I promise.'

'Then I guess I'll wait. You know, until you've _worked it all out_.'

The warmth in his expression made her feel more buttery than ever.

She stepped backwards outside the flat. 'Thank you, Hugo.'

'No problem,' he said, then pointed quickly. 'Mind the stairs!'

Ami realized then she had been slowly backing towards the top of the tight, narrow steps. She gripped the banister immediately and tried to suppress a blush.

 _Nice one, Ami_ , she scolded herself.

Hugo chuckled.

Their eyes remained locked to each other until it was impossible to see each other anymore down the darkness of the slightly curved stairway. It was not until she reached the bottom that she heard his front door close slowly, reluctantly.

She had to go.

'Anything to report from Mr. Congenial up there?' Helen asked once Ami reappeared in the doorway which led back into the café. 'Looking any better?'

'Well,' she replied slowly, thinking of what had just occurred a few seconds ago. 'He was laughing when I left.'

A knowing smile crept across Helen's face as she turned back to the coffee machine. 'I told you,' she said knowingly.

 _He's keen on you_ , Ami remembered. She was certain her cheeks were lighting up again. Then she remembered Hugo's invite for tomorrow night, and her hue almost certainly deepened.

* * *

After waving goodbye to Helen, Ami finally began to think about what Mamoru had told her that morning. She had two tasks that she had to complete: to find out more about that Goshenite crystal, its properties, its history and its meaning; and to find a new, secure container for it. On both fronts Colbert Dunsten was her best bet. As silly as it might have seemed, the owner of a New Age shop was a logical person to ask about the properties of a crystal as well as something to put it in. He would probably think she was insane for being so protective of this supposedly ordinary crystal, but she had to be practical.

In the end, _this_ crystal wasn't "ordinary" and it needed to be contained.

Practicality aside, Ami still felt as if she was floating down the pavement as her mind kept wandering back to the conversation she had just had with Hugo.

It was difficult to describe how she felt; both uncertain and excited at the same time. Perhaps the thing that struck her the most was how easy it would have been to just lean in and kiss him. No one had _ever_ made her feel that way. In a life filled with moments where she had avoided intimacy at all costs, she was overwhelmed at how intense the desire she had for Hugo was.

 _Desire?!_ She covered her lips and lowered her head, embarrassed before the other pedestrians, as if they too could read minds.

Pushing it out of her mind she turned towards the small square where the Darkstone New Age shop was. She would pretend she was just passing by, thank Colbert for how nice he was yesterday and ask how his head was doing. That would give her a good chance to bring up the question of crystal meanings.

The shop bell rang out.

Kris looked up from the table of crystals she was tidying. She beamed, clearly surprised to see Ami there. 'Hiya, sweets!' she greeted her. 'What brings you here?'

'Oh, I was just… passing,' Ami said slowly.

She took a moment to look around. She hadn't quite taken in the shop the first two times she had been there. It was actually quite small, covered floor to ceiling with shelves of various objects. It was mainly carved objects made of different minerals, jewellery, books and a long spice rack. Just to the side of it was a smaller shelf of a variety oils. Glancing up at the ceiling, she saw numerous dream catchers and wind chimes dangling above her head.

'How is Mr. Dunsten?'

Kris walked back towards the counter and hopped onto a stool. 'He's fine. Today's his day off – he's just upstairs listening to his Bowie.'

That was a disappointment. Ami tried not to show it though and turned to look at the table that Kris had just been rearranging. It really was the centrepiece of the shop that had not caught her eye before. In fact, had it even been here the first time?

'This is new...' she muttered a little louder than she had intended.

'I gave it a complete overhaul!' Kris announced proudly.

The crystals were arranged in a rainbow of colour, starting with the reddish oranges in the top left, all the way down to the palest blue and virtually clear ones in the bottom right. Immediately, she found herself drawn to that corner, as it shared the most similarities with Goshenite.

'It used to be all jumbled up by crystal types,' Kris went on. 'I said to Uncle Cole, "We ought to make it look like a pick and mix - it'll attract more customers!" So he gave me free reign to get the table looking down I want. I'm actually pretty pleased with myself – I've been setting it up since seven this morning.'

Ami smirked. It looked more like a sweets selection rather than a collection of minerals and stones. Each tiny box contained small, tumbled stones with a name and number next to it. Casting her eyes along, noticing some stones shared the same number, Ami finally noticed a large book that was permanently attached to a stand. It was open at a page entitled "Crystal index" and listed an endless list of words that ended in "-ite". A neon coloured sign stuck out to the side of the book reading, _"Can't find what you're looking for? Let us source it for you! Ask at the till."_

'That was my idea too,' Kris chuckled. 'See, what I have done is organised the stones to look pretty and labelled them with the pages in this book. Try one and see.'

Ami looked back at the book, then at the table again. 'The only stone I know is Goshenite. Maybe a few others but—'

'That's as good a place as any to start,' Kris assured her. 'We have Goshenite stones.' They did, in between Danburite and Petalite. 'They're a bit clearer and smaller than yours but that's because these are designed for keyring and necklace – see to your left!'

She turned and saw the little turntable with various twisted metal keychains and necklaces attached to them. Some were very basic, some were shaped like pretty little bird cages. If Kris had set this all up herself, she had done a brilliant job. Even Ami could feel her inner magpie awaken.

Kris pointed to the shelves just beyond the table. 'I set up the bigger stones for crystal healing just beyond the table. This way we are appealing to the casual shopper who just wants a cute bit of jewellery with a vaguely significant stone in it. Anyway, look up Goshenite!'

Maybe she wouldn't need Colbert after all. If this book was even vaguely informative, it would be a good start. She flipped the page to "G" and ran her finger down until she saw what she was looking for. Then she searched the book for the relevant page, all while keeping the conversation going with Kris:

'Do you usually work here on the weekend, then?'

'Just Sunday and some evenings if I have an early finish. It's all money, isn't it? Plus it helps me keep an eye on Uncle Cole. Mum always worries about him and she can't really get out to help herself.'

'Is she is elder sister, then?'

'By about five years,' Kris sighed, thinking how polar opposite her mother and uncle were. 'Mum has always been the no-nonsense, straight talker while Uncle Cole has always been the type to… dart around the subject.' She folded her arms, her mind drifting off, 'It was always Uncle Jack who kept Uncle Cole in line.'

'Uncle Jack?'

Ami looked over her shoulder, she saw a genuine sadness flicked across her friend's face. Kris looked up, realising she was looking at her, 'Cole's _partner_ - _in-crime_ here at the shop. He died in a car crash in Italy about six years ago.'

'I'm sorry, that's awful,' Ami said softly.

'It's fine,' Kris nodded. 'There are times when I… I still miss him. He was such a great guy. They used to travel all over the world and bring me back different crystals that were native to that area.' She opened her arms and chuckled, 'It's how all of _this_ got started!'

They smiled at each other.

Kris nodded towards the book. 'Found the page yet?'

'Oh, just a moment!' Ami muttered, turning back to the book. Her hand was already resting a few pages before the one she wanted; she had been letting her eyes linger over the vast and exotic names of these various minerals. Okenite. Menalite. Novaculite. Opal. Clear Topaz – which was interesting as Ami thought topaz was always yellow – and Goshenite!

'Here it is.'

The picture used to depict the stone was very different from her crystal or the ones for the key rings; it was a raw stone, a mixture of white and greyish-silver.

_Goshenite (Clear Beryl)._

Even just reading that name caused shivers the run down her spine. One of the most defining aspects of Queen Beryl she could remember was her necklace of clear stone. It must have been Goshenite. Since then, Ami had faced so many enemies. Yet it was that wild red hair and those burning ruby eyes that stuck in her head the most. Perhaps it was because ultimately that woman had tormented her in her previous life as well as her life as Ami Mizuno.

The page listed for all the crystals their Crystal system –

'What is a crystal system?' she asked.

'It is supposed to refer to the basic structure of the crystal,' Kris replied. 'Many have different forms. I admit I've never really thought much about it.'

Ami nodded. It also listed what their chemistry (what they were made from), hardness and where they were sourced from. Then, a double space between, it listed the "Non-scientific" factors including their chakra, zodiac, ruling planet and what they could be used for. Among those attributed to Goshenite were silly pseudo-science claims such as _"Good for eyesight, throat infections and the spine."_

It was hard not to giggle.

Beneath that there was a blurb describing the stone in greater detail. This was what she needed! She read it to herself:

_"Aside from the generic properties of all beryl, Goshenite is useful for past-life regressions and healing your troubled soul from your previous existence. It may be that you suffered a trauma that you cannot remember ever occurring in this life. This stone will highlight that pain and clear it from your spirit, ensuring that your suffering does not extend into your present life._

" _It is the ultimate seer stone, allowing you to combat outside influences of negative energy to promote a greater sense of well-being. Its purity in qualities and appearance has won it the name 'mother of the crystals'."_

Ami's mouth twisted in bemusement. This wasn't as informative as she had hoped, and none of what this said matched what the Phantom was doing. It really just confirmed what Colbert had already said. Ruled by the Moon, related to the zodiac Leo, a crown chakra…

'What do you know about gemstones?' she asked Kris. It was a slightly stupid question considering where they were. That said, Kris was the niece of the proprietor of the shop, not the actual owner. 'I mean... their history and meaning.'

The beautiful dark-haired woman sipped from a milkshake cup and leant against the counter. 'It depends on what you wanted to know. Uncle Cole knows more about identifying them but I'm pretty wised up on their uses and meanings.'

'Why is Goshenite a "seer stone"?' Ami immediately queried. 'You called it that when we first identified the stone, and it says it here in this book.'

'Heh, yeah, I probably got it from that book or one of the many other books we have on crystals,' she smirked, pointing to the bookshelf. Then she saw the disappointed look on Ami's face and quickly added, ' _But_ I know a _bit_ more than what's in these books.' She twisted her cup around on the table. 'So… I guess the reason is because Goshenite is one of the many types of beryl, which is considered a queen of sorts among crystals.'

Ami turned back to the page. Her eyes kept being drawn to the word "Beryl" and all the awful things she associated with it. To hear Kris describe it as a "queen of crystals" as well, it was all starting to feel a little… _too_ coincidental. 'What is so special about Beryl? Aren't there… lots of crystal families?'

'In ancient times, people believed that beryl crystals were purely magical,' Kris said. She looked up slightly, as if she was trying to recall knowledge from a part of her brain she rarely used. It had to be strange being a student of medicine yet working in a new age shop.

'Compare it to, say, Sapphires or Diamonds,' she continued. 'They have "magical" properties – wisdom and purity respectfully – but they were first and foremost valued for their beauty. Beryl yields a popular gem too, which is emerald, but it comes in an array of different colours all with different names and properties. There is even a non-emerald green beryl, which is a sort of limey-colour. I remember Uncle Cole saying once that it was "gorgeously alluring". I guess the ancients felt the same way. It was just a very, very magical crystal.'

Sapphire. Diamond. Emerald.

This was giving Ami flashbacks to another part of her past she would sooner forget. The worst part was that, providing the future hadn't changed, those _certain people_ were still waiting for her in the future. Perhaps good had triumphed in the end but it was still a fear that something could still go wrong. The future was not set in stone. Sailor Moon had proven that when she refused to let the universe die quietly, as much as Sailor Cosmos tried to convince her she should.

Kris waved her hand in front of Ami's face. 'Hey, space girl! Come back to Earth!'

That snapped her out of her train of thought. 'I'm sorry. Don't know what happened there.'

'That's okay,' Kris chuckled. 'The boys phase out when I talk gems too.'

The image of Hugo's eyes glazing over came to Ami's mind. She shook it away as soon as she had thought of it.

'But I'm genuinely interested!' Ami protested. 'My personal favourite gemstone has always been blue sapphires.'

'Classic. I don't think I have one personally. I love too many of them. Maybe Opal?'

'What do sapphires mean?' Ami continued to ask, thinking back to Dr. Roser's necklace. 'You said they are one of the most popular gemstones, but what do they mean in your "new age" knowledge.'

Kris relented and continued in her talk. 'Um, well they are the traditional birthstone of September but even that is pretty meaningless seeing as there are no set birthstones for anyone any more. Except if you're a June baby; that has almost always been Pearl.'

'What are you?'

'Ha, I'm an August baby,' Kris said blithely. 'Leo the Lion. Onyx and Peridot. Ruled by the Sun. You?'

'Tenth of September.'

'How fitting! Virgo the Virgin. Sapphire. Ruled by Mercury.'

'Hugo is June, isn't he?'

'Yep. The ever changeable twins. Hughie is also a Gemini born on the cusp of Cancer, I think,' came the immediate response. 'The seventeenth, so he's a _magical_ Gemini. Gemstones are Pearl and Alexandrite. Also ruled by the planet Mercury. Then Danny is a Scorpio. Ruled by Mars and Pluto. Gemstones: Tourmaline and Opal. I envy him. I _love_ opals…'

'Do... ruling planets mean anything?'

Kris burst out laughing and shook her head. 'Sweetie, you do know it's all nonsense, right? Crystals are just crystals. They have a placebo effect, at best! This is all just fluff and prettiness.'

She couldn't very well tell her the true power crystals seemed to have but Ami played along nonetheless. 'I know that,' she said simply. 'But it is still interesting. The history of all of this.'

Kris looked over at the display.

'It goes back to cultures thinking that gemstones were somehow connected to the stars. These days there are so many - pardon my language - _bullshit_ birthstone charts where no one knows whether they are coming or going. But Uncle Cole insists on going by the ancient beliefs...' she then leaned to whisper into Ami's ear, 'although frankly, I think a lot of his "mythical" interpretations are based on what _he_ believes.'

Ami smiled at that. 'So... how do you decide what planets rule which gemstones?'

'Colour, mainly,' Kris muttered. 'So, like, pink is Venus, white is the moon, yellow is the sun, red is Mars, green is Jupiter, purple is Saturn and blue is Mercury. Bear in mind, the ancients didn't know the other three planets existed.'

Ami remembered Dr. Roser's necklace at that moment, recalling the beautiful violet stone that had sparkled beside the traditional blue sapphire. Immediately, she found herself asking, 'What about a stone like Tanzanite? They're oddly coloured.'

After a moment of consideration, Kris got to her feet again and walked over to her rainbow table. Ami watched curiously as she reached into one of the small wooden boxes of tumbled stones and pulled out a blueish-lavender rock.

_'Voilà!'_

'This is tanzanite?'

'Yep, wouldn't know it, would you?' Kris said, handing it to Ami.

It was true - they looked very, very different. They walked back towards the till, Ami slipping into a stool opposite the cashier side of the desk. They both stared at the stone in silence.

'Of course, most jewellery crafters heat-treat Tanzanite to make the colour pop,' Kris continued. 'Blue, violet, indigo, with the last of those being considered a perfect grade gem. Tumbled stones are often just the unusable pieces, seeing as the stone is precious and rare.'

'I saw Dr. Roser earlier with one in her necklace,' Ami said, placing it on the counter gently. 'It looked like a sapphire but was such a pretty hue. I couldn't even tell what colour it was supposed to be for certain.'

Kris hummed. 'Oooo! Sounds like she got an _un_ treated tanzanite. I maybe in the minority but I think a pure gem, untreated, can actually be so gorgeous and beautiful all by itself. Like,' and she stopped for a second to pull out another book, much thinner and more worn. 'Give me a sec,' she muttered as she flipped through the pages. She then placed it on the glass counter as it showed a colourful spread of blue-purple gemstones. One of the largest pictures on the page was a very unusual mixture of blue, purple, silver and green colour. Kris tapped it, 'That is an untreated tanzanite.'

Ami leaned on her elbows, 'It's _gorgeous_!'

Kris smirked. 'It is a dazzler. Very different from all other forms of zoisite.'

The moment that name was uttered a scolding shot through Ami's heart.

'Oh… tanzanite is a type of zoisite?'

'Yes,' she nodded. 'It comes in quite a few different colours like green, pink, yellow and grey but Tanzanite has always been the most popular. There are even examples of zoisite stones growing alongside sapphires, that's how you get Anyolite, which is Ruby in Zoisite. I'm surprised you even know what zoisite is.'

Ami took a moment to collect herself, looking down at the booklet again. 'I guess I'd just heard the name and have never taken a moment to think about it before.'

There was a silent moment as she looked at the hunk of rock in the palm of her hand, as if it could tell her anything at all about _the man_ Zoisite. That was stupid. It was nothing to do with him… right? It was just a rock. A piece of earth grown on the Earth.

It was impossible not to think of Hugo again.

She clung to the tanzanite stone hard. The moment she did, she started to feel a little calmer. A smile crossed her face. _That's right. It's just a stone_ , she kept telling herself. N _o more related to_ that _Zoisite than Kaorinite was to Kaolinite. Or_ that _Zoisite was to Hugo._

Kris leaned on her elbow again and smirked. 'I'm guessing you like this one, then?'

'Sorry?' Ami bleeped, snapping out of it.

'You looked strangely peaceful,' she observed. 'The tanzanite is having a right affect, it seems?'

'Oh?' Ami looked back at the stone. 'Is that what it's supposed to do? Calm you down?'

'Why not look it up in the book?' Kris suggested tactfully.

Ami turned back to the stand. She gave her friend one last look before aiming straight for the book and hurling it open to the index page again. 'Should I look up Tanzanite or Zoisite?' Kris told her that they both had pages, the mineral and the specific gemstone. She decided to go straight for the big guns and turned to page fifty-eight, for Zoisite.

It looked nothing like the tanzanite stone she currently clasped in her hand; yellow, instead of blue, although the caption noted that zoisite came in a variety of colours.

_Zoisite_

Chakra, Crown, Heart. Zodiac, Gemini. Ruled by Mercury.

She found herself reading the book aloud this time: ' _A mineral innately connected with healing of the body and mind, all variants of this stone are thought to bring a soothing affect upon the user - see Tanzanite and Thulite for more specific properties._ Thulite?'

'A reddish-pink, third variant of Zoisite,' Kris explained, going into full-saleswoman mode. 'Found in Norway. See fifth row down, box thirty-four. Good for children with nervous problems, allegedly.'

Ami's eyes immediately fell on the dark candy coloured rock,

She looked back to the book and continued on. ' _It is usually used as a means to convert negative energy into positive energy. Rather than focusing on the past, this stone encourages you to focus on the now…'_

She looked back to Kris. 'Is tanzanite much different?'

'It is good for studying and soothing a troubled mind if it is stressed, overworked or what not. _Allegedly_.'

 _Sounds like something Hugo could use,_ Ami remarked to herself. 'It sounds like a very helpful, as well as pretty, stone,' she said simply. _Ironically_ , she thought to herself. _How could something so lovely spawn a creature so… lacking in empathy?_

She walked back to the counter and placed the stone down again, 'It suppose this would make a nice necklace or keychain, right?'

Kris immediately perked up again. 'Ooo, is that a sale? Please say yes. Then I can brag to Uncle Cole that my marketing scheme worked.'

Ami was a little dumbstruck. She hadn't considered actually buying the stone really but, now it was out of her hand, she was finding herself wanting to pick it up again. To touch and caress it. It was _strange_. Like an old memory was trying to escape but she couldn't quite recall it.

 _It would make a nice necklace or keychain_ , she thought, echoing her words earlier.

Then she remembered her original purpose for going to the shop, aside from wanting to investigate the Goshenite crystal. 'Actually, one of the reasons I came here was—'

_'…the loud sound did seem to fade,_

_came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase…'_

They both immediately turned as Colbert Dunsten walked through the drapes leading to the back of the shop. His headphones were on, the mild tune of music ringing from them as he clutched his walkman to him.

_'That weren't no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive._

_THERE'S A STARMAN_ WAITIN' _…!'_

He suddenly looked up and realised it wasn't just his niece in the front of the shop. Kris hid her face in her hand, trying not to laugh. Ami was biting back a giggle too; Mr. Dunsten seem very into the song he was singing, as if he were the performer himself.

Colbert pulled his headphones down and pressed "Stop" with a click. He stared at Ami with an unreadable expression, as if trying to size her up. She presumed he must have been embarrassed.

'Good God,' he chuckled awkwardly. 'Pardon me, lovey. I didn't think anyone was—'

She held up her hand to assure him. 'Not at all. It sounded like a fun song there.'

He gasped. 'What? You don't know _the_ Space Cowboy?! Sacrilege!'

Confused, she glanced at Kris.

She laughed, 'David Bowie. Uncle Cole is a big fan.'

'Oh,' Ami nodded. She knew the name, probably knew some of his songs too. He was the singer in that film with the labyrinth and all the muppets in it.

The older man chuckled kindly, 'I was just joking, lovey. Oh, you're that girl from the other day, right? Nice girl with the nice piece of Goshenite. Um, Amy?'

'Ami, yes.'

'Ami. _Ami_ , That's the one!' he chirped, clicking his fingers in triumph. With a little hobble, he wandered over to Kris's side on the counter.

Kris rolled her eyes, 'Leave it out, Unc. You aren't that old!'

Colbert snorted out another chuckle. 'Perhaps not but you don't have to be old to have stiff legs.' He then turned to Ami, smiling brightly. 'So, what brings you back? Couldn't get enough of it last time, eh?'

Before she could answer, Cole was distracted by the crystal table.

'Well, well. Kris, look at this!' he shouted, wandered towards it. He stared at the beautifully decorated and designed table. 'This is… this is…'

'Like it?' Kris asked, confident the answer would be yes based on her tone.

He smirked, 'It's _lovely_ , sweetheart. You are _too_ good to me.'

She rolled her eyes, 'Well, you would still be living in the ancient past were it not for me.'

Colbert chuckled again and then turned back to Ami. 'Sorry, lovey. What were you going to say?'

Now, she would say it. 'I was actually wondering if you had any little bags to keep crystals in.'

Kris raised an eyebrow. Her expression read: _Please tell me you aren't getting suckered into this crystal magic stuff. Please!_

'I just think, if I'm going to keep the Goshenite, I might as well keep it well,' Ami said, as if trying to assure Kris that she still had her sanity. Then she picked up the Tanzanite stone again. 'I've also been talked into buying this, too, it seems.'

That cheered Kris up. Med student by weekday, saleswoman by weekend. 'Are you going to put it in a necklace?'

'Maybe…' Ami muttered.

Before she knew it, Kris had grabbed one of the simpler, more inexpensive necklaces from the turntable and showed it to her. 'This one is good to start out with.'

As she walked back to the counter, Colbert turned and got out a small pocket that presumably was indeed used to put crystals into. Immediately, Ami noticed it was very prettily designed: pale white with a golden thread design on it… but it was semi-transparent.

Mamoru's warning echoed in her head.

'Um,' she said hesitantly. 'Do you have… something opaque?'

'Oh…' Cole looked down at the bag, a confused look on his face. _'Huh, girls usually prefer these ones,'_ he muttered. He then quickly smiled, 'I'm sure I do somewhere. It won't be as pretty as this one, though. Is that okay?'

'That's fine.'

'Hm.' He slowly walked to the back of the shop to look into her request why Kris got out a small paper bag to put the items in. 'Very specific request,' she said, a little bemused.

'I just don't want—' Ami began, then realised she had no valid excuse outside of _"I don't want the Phantom to be able to see me."_ If she said that, she would sound like an insane person. She started again, 'I don't want them to get damaged. You know, in thin material.'

Kris was already perplexed enough not to question any further.

Colbert came out with a different pocket for crystals. This one was a deep blue colour and made of a velvety material. More importantly, you couldn't see the crystals through it.

'This is a nice one,' he began, as if he was worried about selling it. 'As I said, it's plain, but the colour is pretty, right?'

Ami nodded, 'That is perfect. _Exactly_ what I need!'

The shop owner nodded and handed it to Kris while picking up his walkman again. 'Well, I'm off to grab lunch. I'll get you something, sweetheart.'

'Okay thanks,' Kris replied.

The doorbell rang and Colbert went out just as a couple of young girls came in. He greeted them cheerfully. 'Come on in, we've completely revamped our, what's it called, _visual merchandising!_ '

They chuckled and walked straight over to Kris's rainbow table of crystals, all gasping and cooing over the variety. _'I just want them all,'_ one of them muttered. _'Look here, Lisa! There's a book saying what they all mean!'_

Kris called over to them in a sweet ringing voice. 'Just let me know if you need any help!'

Ami handed her what she owed.

Putting it away in the till, Kris hopped back onto the stool and pulled out her book on pathology. Ami was once again reminded of all the reading she needed to do too.

'I need to do that once I get home,' she admitted, pointing at the book.

'That's the one downside on having a part-time job here,' Kris sighed. 'You never know how much you'll be able to get done.'

* * *

Relieved, Ami threw her bag down and leaned her back against the door the moment she got in. She was ready to just lie down and take a nap… but there was little chance of that with all the reading she wanted to get done. So, instead, she would simply push her ear-plugs in and try to get into the swing of things. A good round of _Population Science and Ethics_ would be a nice, simple way to get into it all.

Sitting down at her desk, Ami pushed the earbuds in to block out all the sound she could. She tapped her pencil against the table as she desperately tried to switch off. _Just focus on the words on the page_. _Focus._

She got about a quarter down the first page before the day's events started playing through her head again. As easy as it was to block out the sounds of the world, it was impossible to silence the ones in her head.

Hugo's voice rang out in her mind:

_'If you really concentrate, you can mute other people's thoughts...'_

'Easy for you to say,' she grumbled.

In that moment, she craved the study sessions with the others. They always got so much done.

She opened her laptop and started the dial up. 'We really need to organize another one for Tuesday.' Tomorrow would have been good too but, of course, she and Hugo would be at that museum.

Quickly, she typed out an email to the others to suggesting they book a study room again and go at it together. Judging by what Kris said earlier, she would be up for it. As for Dan, he only ever seemed to get work done while he was with them.

Ami chuckled, 'He's probably playing _Silver Knight_ , again.'

Then there was Hugo. She was glad he seemed a little better but she was still a little worried.

Her thoughts turned again to their discussion. His mind reading. How "real" it had turned out to be. Even after all this time, all the challenges she had faced as a Sailor Senshi, some things still came out to surprise her now and then.

She hadn't thought about Hugo's gift much beyond the novelty of him, now and then, knowing how she was feelings or thinking. Previously, he had jokily brushed it off as "mind reader"... but he had meant it. He lived his life with a constant backing-track going on inside his head and had to consciously choose to drown it out.

 _With that in mind_ , Ami thought worriedly. _Can I… really see him as an ordinary person?_

First, she learned about his coma. Now, there was this. Maybe the two were connected?

The strangest part about this revelation was that none of it felt like a violation. Ami had seldom considered Hugo could pop into people's heads whenever he wanted. If anything, now it was explained to her, it was more in the line of overhearing someone else's conversation. Most of it is nonsense or doesn't make sense, he had said. None of it felt intentionally and, if anything, she felt guilty for "thinking so loudly".

_'That's what you think most of the time […] Just random English words as your brain buzzes away, trying to find the one you want.'_

Thinking about it, Ami tended to think exclusively in English when with Hugo, Kris or Dan. It was the only way she could keep the language straight in her head. If she couldn't think of a good word, she would run through the thesaurus of her mind for one that was right. Correct, true, positive. She would do this so quickly she barely noticed, but Hugo did.

His intuition was off the charts. Greater than Rei's or Mamoru's by a long shot. They were the only other "psychics" she knew. Both were impressive in their own way, and were both very different from each other. Hugo's ability marked him out as special, just like it did with them. "Special" in their sense, in the way of the Sailor Senshi.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She thought of all she had learned about the crystals again.

Reaching over for her bag, she pulled out the brown paper bag that contained the new stone Tanzinite, the necklace and the pouch for the Goshenite. Immediately, she went to where she had hidden it earlier and tossed it in, glass tube and all.

'Thought I'd forget, did you?' she said spitefully, lest the Phantom was watching right now. She was too proud to admit even to herself that she had almost forgotten.

She tossed in back into the draw she usually kept it in and sat back at her desk.

Her eyes were fixed on the Tanzanite stone. Slowly, she unwrapped the twisted metal necklace and eased the stone into the little "cage" for it. Finally, she undid the clasp and fastened it around her neck.

 _Let's see if you really work, then_ , she thought.

Still, the fact that this stone was a "Zoisite" still bugged her.

'Hugo is special,' she said to herself. 'Like we are. Does that mean that he could still be—?'

Her hand snaked up to clutch the stone, thumb rubbing it delicately.

But he had been so forthcoming about what it was like to be him, about how his power was so intense that he could hear the vibrations of the human brain. _He had made it sound so beautiful_.

More still, he had trusted her with this very personal secret. Other people knew about his coma but this special ability was something he had kept private for his whole life. Yet, he had told her. Her.

Ami bit her bottom lip nervously as the corners of her mouth tugged into a smile.

She picked up her pencil and started to scan the words of the page again. Underline this, margin notes next to that. Then the second page, then the third… then Hugo was back on her mind again.

She put the pencil down again and pondered.

There was no denying it. Hugo was special – not a golem of the Dark Kingdom, or a man who just resembled one. He was separate from normality. He was extraordinary. He was an enigma she wanted to explore further and further... and she loved him for it.

Ami blushed.

 _Love?_ she questioned herself. Had that word really just crossed her mind? _No, no, it was too early for that... Right?_

Her chest tightened.

Her heart ached.

Her blood felt like it was prickling the inside of her veins.

She opened her hands to look at them. They were damp with nerves.

Yes, she liked him and more than just as a friend. She had to admit that; his personality pleased her, his ambitions were in line with her own. They were both very similar. She liked Hugo very, very much. She thought about him more than anyone else and felt different whenever she was with him.

 _No, no time to think about this now_ , she told herself strictly. _I have work to do_.

With that, she resolutely picked up her pencil one more time and resolved to read until she was done. Books before boys, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back. I have a lot of university stuff to deal with but I wanted to get this chapter out before my Reading Week.
> 
> Couple of notes on the Crystal stuff: The stuff about the colours, I for the most part made up to match the the Senshi colours, with the exception of Venus, which I kept true. In reality the colours do not match up that perfectly. Purple and yellow are colours closer related to Mercury than blue, which is traditionally associated with Jupiter. Even then the "colour association" of gemstones is really unreliable.
> 
> One thing that is true is Tanzanite is a communication stone that also soothes an overactive imagination, making it a good gemstone for Gemini, seeing as they are notoriously hyperactive mentally and tend to suffer from sudden mood swings. The Zoisite stones are also considered to be ruled by the Airy element, which is ruled by Mercury, Venus and Uranus. They are bodily healing stones but chiefly tend to focus on emotional healing.
> 
> And if you want to see an untreated one, just Google it. They are so beautifully unusual!
> 
> *
> 
> Here the "book club" questions:
> 
> \- What do you make of Hugo's ability?  
> \- What do you make of the crystal knowledge Kris revealed? What do you think it might say about the Phantom's powers or abilities?  
> \- Is Ami in denial over who Hugo might be, or do you believe in him too?
> 
> Have any other questions or thoughts? Just say so in the comments below.


	10. 不明男 – The Watcher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am back. Due to RL issues I have simply not been able to really get to grips with this fic for a while. Now, I feel I can so let us proceed. There are some more notes at the end of the fic but for now, enjoy the long awaited Chapter 10.

_Even as Ami fell asleep, she could feel herself being pulled back into the life of Sailor Mercury._

_Before she knew it, she was back to where her last dream left off. Ami felt herself being pulled back into the kiss with the mysterious young man. The "shadowy knight" with the sweet, soft-lips that felt too perfect to have ever been real. Yet, there she was back in that moment. His warm, lovely lips parting ever so slightly to tease her own with his tongue. To her surprise, she did not panic or resist, but tentatively responded with gentle pecks on and to the corners of his mouth. It was a soft yet dry mouth, likely due to the cold air that surrounded them._

_Every fibre of her body felt alight and alive as she longed to be as close to him as possible._

_She could hear the snow crunch beneath their feet as they shifted closer and the soothing bite of the winter air as it nipped at the exposed skin of her arms and shoulders._

_It felt so vivid._

_This had to be a true memory._

_She was caught in an odd sense of limbo. Ami had come to recognise these dreams for what they were and seemed to be fully aware throughout them. Yet, she was also at one with Mercury, as she was then over ten thousand years ago. She felt every sensation she felt, like a memory rather than a conjuring of her own mind._

_These have to be memories, Ami thought to herself. It was impossible not to be lost in this man's kiss. Her heart swelled. Mercury was-was I-am I in love? she asked herself. The thought of Princess Mercury and Ami Mizuno were now fully blended. They were one again in this dream, in this memory._

Who is he? _Ami asked herself._

You don't _need_ to ask _, her own voice responded in reply. The voice of Sailor Mercury._

_Then another feeling spread through her mind. It was guilt and fear. This shouldn't be happening. It is wrong. It is against every law on Earth and the Moon. That knowledge brought tears to Princess Mercury's eyes, and her shadow-lover recognised it immediately._

_'We can't!' she croaked. 'This is wrong. It is-we can't do this anymore. We can't keep meeting each other in secret. Lying to everyone. We just… can't.'_

_He pulled away, cupping her face gently so as to give her freedom to pull as far away as she wished. She stayed put. His eyes were filled with anxiety and pity, and she hated it. He used his thumb to wipe away a beaded tear from her cheek. 'Because of God's Law?'_

_She swallowed hard._

_'It's not just the Lunaerian law, or even my vows,' she quivered. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, 'It's_ your _vows. They are so strict-'_

_His arms dropped to his side and Mercury immediately felt bereft._

_The man then says that he knows his vow and recites it. 'I am to pledge my bodily strength and will to my Master. Never to marry, to father no children, or give my body for anyone other than my master and the Maiden.'_

_'Under pain of death...' Mercury muttered, eyes looking away. She feared the inevitable look of resignation in his eyes, knowing that the moment it sank in that meetings like this - being alone together with just the Earth Solace and the bitter snow - would end. Foreboding sunk in. Mercury knew the end was near. They would be doomed to lives of solitude. Water began to prickle her eyes._

Am I... crying?

_It had never bothered Mercury before. From the moment she was born, she was told and trained to believe that only Princess Serenity mattered, that once she was born her love and kindness would be all she would ever need. The Queen promised her when she gifted her with Mariner Castle nearly one-hundred years ago at her birth that the joy and happiness her soon-to-be born daughter would bring would lighten the hearts of everyone in the Solar System._

_Princess Serenity. For so long, her innocence and sweetness had softened Mercury's heart against the resentment felt by her own Mercurial people. Their home was long destroyed and they now existed by grace of the Moon Queen. The oldest civilisation in the Solar System, reduced to the role of servants and their sworn protector, the Sailor Senshi of Mercury, resigned to the role of a bodyguard. Powers capped and reduced. Yet Mercury did not care, as long as she could be with her Princess, Venus and the others._

_That is, until now._

_Now, the thought of returning to that world of blind happiness and simplicity felt more like a prison sentence. It was not because she loved the other Guardians, her princess or the Queen any less. Even now, her genuine affection for them all filled her mind. The knowledge that in this moment of agony they would comfort her was a mild reassurance. Yet, even with all of that, the thought of being parted from_ him _forever, knowing they could never be together filled her with such sorrow and helplessness that even the thought of the Queen and her daughter could not fill that void._

I know I have to leave him _, Mercury told herself._ So, why can't I imagine life without him?

_She dared to look him in the eyes. Though still a shadow in Ami's mind, she saw a warmth and tenderness there. In his eyes, she imagined nothing but the same love and agony she felt._

You feel the same _, she thought with bitter relief. She did not want him to feel the pain she did but it was comforting just to know that he loved her too._

 _'I_ do _feel the same,' he assures her._

_He steps forward. Mercury feels faint. A soft hand takes hold of her chin and she looked up into those beautiful green eyes._

_'That is my vow and I will honour it.' He sounds so serious that Mercury feels her tears begin to fall. She could not remember ever feeling so pitiful._

_But then, he pulls her close and speaks all the softer into her ear. 'Endymion may have my body and strength... But you have my heart and soul.'_

_She cannot herself from wrapping her arms around him. They weave their way under his arms and she rests her hands softly on his surprisingly strong shoulders. His outline had seemed so boyish… but he had the body of a man._

_As droplets freeze to her stone-cold cheeks she glances up at the Moon. Guilt seeped in, then slipped away as she felt the sweetest of kisses touch her bare shoulder as her shadow knight tried to comfort her._

I wish I was a human _, Mercury lamented, squeezing her eyes shut._ If only I could be human like _you_.

* * *

Ami awoke in tears, her face twisted in distress and the taste of salt in her mouth. _What a mess I'm in_ , she mused. Sitting up, she reached for a tissue to dry her eyes while being acutely aware of the heaviness in her chest. She really had been crying.

 _Guardian Mercury_ , she asked herself. _Why are you sending me these dreams? There has to be a reason for them now. To suddenly be dreaming of the Silver Millennium after all these years...?_

Grabbing a notebook, Ami decided she would catalogue these dreams while they were still fresh in her mind. If she waited too long, certain facts would likely escape until all she would remember was the sadness she felt when she woke. As she grabbed her pen, she tried not to hesitate before scratching down everything she could recall from the scenery to the man she was with. She remembered the cold, snow, aurora in the sky and the warmth of the shadow knight's body—

Her pen stopped still.

 _That man_ , she thought in frustration. _The shadowy knight._ _I saw his face, I know it! But... I just can't remember. And his eyes, what colour were they again?_

She couldn't remember even their colour. Instead, she decided to focus on what she had remembered of the conversation. They had spoken of "God's Law" and of his vow to "His master and the Maiden". Who were they? If this was related to the Silver Millennium, it made sense that she should telephone Artemis and Luna as soon as possible to ask.

More importantly, who was that man? He had a master and, apparently, a mistress to serve. If they were on Earth, could it relate to Endymion? Mamoru hadn't been especially helpful the last time Ami called him but maybe if she jogged his memory a little...?

She closed the notebook and stared in the direction of her clock, barely registering the time of 5:57 am.

As she glanced towards her closed window, another thought occurred to her. _No Phantom activity. Maybe he took Sundays off too?_

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, made stickier from her fresh tears, Ami decided it was time to get up and face the world. She had classes today. Kris, Dan... and Hugo, seeing them would make her feel better.

The sound of Hugo's name in her own head made her chest prickle with anticipation for their "date" tonight. Ami had suffered no skin irritation yet, which could only be a good sign. It was unusual how Hugo managed to cause her heart to quiver yet equally soothed her as well. It made her feel better after such a vivid dream.

Something else that would make her feel better was a nice shower. As she made her way to the shared bathroom, one of her fellow residents warned her that the water was a little cold.

She smiled and said it was fine.

After a Mercury dream, Ami always felt an urge for the shock of cold water on her body. Caught between her previous life and this one, a part of her wished she possessed the super absorbent body of a Mercurial again. Yet, as the freezing beads of water sprinkled over her, Ami was reminded how warm she was. It was this sensation that reminded her of the dream before last, how Mercury had lamented her cold body compared to the warmth of her shadow knight.

 _I am a human_ , Ami thought suddenly, holding still as her skin grew accustomed to the temperature. _I am a human now._

After a light breakfast and packing her books for the day, she made her way to campus. She went over today's schedule in her head: ethnics lecture with Dr Roser, then Dr Finley for anatomy and Dr Patel for pathology.

Before she left her room, she made a conscious choice to pick up the little velvet bag that contained the Goshenite stone. Quickly, she packed it into her bag. _There is no way I am leaving this thing unguarded_ , she told herself.

She also decided to wear her tanzanite stone necklace as well. _Here's hoping you do help me study!_

It would be a long day. First, university and then the museum with Hugo.

Her heart quickened.

Walking into the lecture theatre, Ami was relieved to see Dr Roser was not there yet. She expected to be asked whether Hugo had paid any more attention to her in regards to his health. While was wasn't against helping bridge the gap between mother and son, she felt it would be more suitable if Hugo confirmed his wellness to her himself. Ami paused for a moment as she ascended the lecture theatre's stairs. She hoped he was feeling better.

Raising her head, she noticed Dan was already sat a few rows from the very back, waving to try and get her attention.

'Morning, Ams!' he chuckled. 'Over here!'

Her cheeks reddened, worried he was drawing too much attention to himself. They were only two of about ten dotted about the large hall who were already there. So, his voice carried _very_ far.

She chuckled nervously. 'G-Good morning, Daniel.'

Upon reaching the row he was in, she took a seat leaving one space between them, smiling rather than speaking.

'Ha, I love how you say my name,' Daniel remarked.

Ami bit her lip. Indeed, she still sometimes said "Daneru" rather than the correct English pronunciation. The letter "L" was still something of a tongue twister. She could say it in her head, it was just hard to vocalise.

'Oh, sorry...' she muttered.

'No, need! Like I said, I like it. It's a, whatchya call it, cute character trait.'

Ami felt neck start to itch.

That was when her saviour came along.

'Down, boy!' Kris chuckled, coming up the stairs behind Ami. Her large eyes seemed even more perfectly framed than usual by her long, dark lashes.

'Morning, sweetie,' she said to Ami before turning back to Dan. 'You know, Ami's just not that in to you.'

Ami. Everyone said her name different as well. From the moment she touched down at the airport, she had been "Aim-ee" or more specifically "Amy". Even Hugo said her name differently, saying a sort of hybrid between the English and Japanese, despite having literal access to her thoughts. He said, "Am-ee".

'Why do you always presume I want to get with people whenever I open my mouth?' Dan pouted.

Kris smirked, taking a seat, 'Oh, I'm sorry for being so judgemental.'

She cocked her eyebrow and pointed to his neck. 'Nice hickey, by the way.'

 _What's a "hickey"?_ Ami immediately wondered.

Whatever it was, it made Dan's face dye red as he started to tug the collar of his shirt up higher in embarrassment. Ami tried to see what it was he was hiding but he turned his collar up, obscuring it completely.

He glared at Kris, 'I... didn't even know it was there.'

She snorted. 'Sure ya didn't!'

Ami blinked. _So, was a hickey a rash or-?_

'It's a bruise.'

Her heart skipped a beat as her head snapped around to see Hugo standing there. Smirking, he continued. 'More specifically, it is when a certain person... _suckles the skin_ , if you get my drift.'

A second later, Ami got it.

 _Oh, a "kissmark"!_ she thinks, and it is impossible to suppress a giggle. The way Hugo had said it made it sound so… _sensual_. It prickled her skin just to think about it.

Hugo took the seat beside her.

'At least we know you had a decent weekend, Dan.'

Her whole body felt tense and warm. They exchanged a smile before both turning to watch Kris and Dan bicker back and forth.

Hugo seemed better than yesterday, still a little grey under the eyes but overall brighter and rosier cheeked. It ignited all the same feelings she felt in his flat yesterday, the desire to be close to him or even kiss him. She took a long breath; he smelled _gorgeous_ , too.

 _Oh no!_ she swallowed. _Please tell me you didn't hear that!_

Covering her mouth in shame, she glanced over her shoulder at him. His beautiful green eyes were so inviting. To her surprise, he shook his head before saying in a low whisper that triggered goosebumps.

'No, but I kind of wish I had now. You sound happy.'

Ami took in a shaky breath before smiling instinctively. She really did feel happy. Nervous, shy, excited... but happy. Her breath was caught in her chest as she thought about the evening to come, going to that museum with him. She began to wonder how on Earth she was ever going to get through the evening with her dignity intact. She needed a distraction and fast!

'How are you feeling?' she asked softly.

He chuckled, 'Heh, I'm fine. I think I've slept off the worst of it. Woke up this morning to a ton of missed messages from my mum, though. Apparently she even called Helen again to check on me and I was dead to the world— _oh,_ um—in a deep sleep on the sofa.' It was then he noticed that Dan and Kris had finished their quarrel and were now listening to him too. He went on, 'Next thing I knew, Hel was shaking me awake "just in case I'd slipped away again". I mean, heck, am I ever gonna live it down?!'

'I think I can understand,' Ami said, her voice gentle. 'After everything you've been through, it must frighten them.'

Hugo heaved a heavy sigh but managed to regain his smile. 'Maybe, but I wish people didn't just know me as "the coma guy". Especially my own family. I've been okay for years now yet it's the first thing anyone thinks or asks about—?'

He stopped dead mid-sentence.

Confused, Ami turned her head to see Kris and Dan both regarding him with matching, bemused looks. They glanced at each other, realising they were thinking the same thing. Then Hugo's inquisitive face switched to an irritated one: 'Go on. Say it. The words are practically oozing off you both.'

 _Literally, I imagine!_ Ami thought.

'Damn right,' Hugo muttered in response.

Kris folded her arms, smiling cynically. 'Well, what are we supposed to think? Before this very moment all you ever did was get defensive about your "horizontal existence". It was our way of winding you up. Now, you're making jokes at your own expense more and more.'

'So what?!' Hugo snapped.

'So, good!' Dan smirked. 'We like it. It means you're getting over it.'

'Finally!' Kris groaned in relief.

Ami found herself smiling too. 'You used to be pretty sensitive about it,' she agreed. 'Overall, you seem so much happier than when I first met you. It's… really nice.'

He immediately turned to look at her. 'Really?'

She nodded.

Kris tilted her head, amused. 'Ah, I see. So _Ami_ is the root of this new, improve Hugo. _Interesting_.'

'Mm-mm,' Dan purred in agreement.

In that moment, Ami dared not look at Hugo as she imagined his face all-pink as much as hers was and she desperately tried to keep her thoughts clear. One false thought and she could end up embarrassing them both. At least Hugo couldn't _hear_ images, only words and sentiments.

Hugo cleared his throat.

That was when Ami felt it was safe to look. To her surprise, he seemed… serene. Their gazes met briefly before he shrugged and addressed Kris's statement. 'Well, maybe that's true. All four of us mesh well together so Ami has been an asset to us all,' and his eyes seem to gleam, 'don't you think?'

It was hard to suppress a squeal of embarrassment as all three of them murmured in agreement.

'Stop it!' she gasped. 'You're all embarrassing me.'

'Aww,' Kris cooed. 'You're blushing, sugar-dee!'

'How charming!' Dan agreed jokingly.

Hugo hummed. 'Very, very cute.'

The low pitch of his voice rumbled through Ami's body like a quake. Never before had she felt so happy and embarrassed at the same time. It was such a good feeling, and it was made all the better as she looked up into Hugo's lovely green eyes. She may well have gone on staring into them for longer than was probably proper had Dr Roser not walked into the lecture hall that moment and called for everyone's attention.

Hugo groaned. 'Well, here we go,' he murmured, now focused on his mother.

Ami smirked. It was so weird to think that those two were related.

'Now… before we begin,' Dr Roser's voice rang out, 'remember you all have a thousand-word essay due by Friday to be handed in to your lab convenors. If you haven't started on it yet, I recommend thinking about your topics during today's anatomy session.'

'Ugh, I forgot about that!' Dan whined.

'Good job she reminded you, then,' Kris said, elbowing him lightly. 'We should all think about what we each want to focus on and compare notes at the library.'

Hugo pulled out his notebook and pen. 'I took the liberty of getting us a study room for tomorrow. It'll be pretty late, though. Four-thirty to six but we'll have it uninterrupted...' he announced, then turned to Ami. 'Sorry if you think I pre-empted you. I know you were thinking of getting us space to study too—'

' _Īe_ , um, I mean no – not at all!' Ami quickly replied, her heart quickening again. It seemed now every word made her body go into overdrive. 'I feel relieved to be doing group work again.'

'Yeah, does feel like we slacked a bit.' Kris agreed.

'Hey! I hosted a _brilliant_ study session at my place!' Dan protested.

'Yeah, it was great,' Kris said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. 'You whined for three hours and nearly gave Hughie a seizure with that _stupid_ video game.'

'I wasn't having a seizure!' Hugo groans. 'I was just tired.'

'That game is not stupid!' Dan complained. 'It's going to be a classic one day. _The Silver Knight_ is. Where. It. Is. At!'

A short and awkward silence was allowed to hang in the air. 'In any case,' Kris continued, ignoring Dan's sulking, 'we tend to concentrate much better in the library. Besides that's where all the books are.' Then she glanced at Dan to add, 'We can _socialise_ at your place, if you are so desperate to play host again. If you get comfier furnishings, that is.'

'What is it with you and hating my minimalist decoration?'

'Ahem!' Dr Roser called out, over the mutterings of her entire class. 'Yes, yes, I know you are all very excited about these essays and just can't wait to get home to start writing them but for now, let's pick up where we left off last week—'

It was a standard lecture. Ami make sure to take plenty of notes, jotting down ideas to write her essay on in the margins. She would need to have another good root-around in Bernard to see if any of them were viable. Hugo also seemed incredibly focused. Throughout the two hours, she kept glancing at him and watching as he scribbled down everything he could without even looking away from his mother or the various cells Dr Roser had put onto the projector in front of her. Half-way through the presentation Kris stopped her recorder to turn the tape it to the other side, taking advantage of a moment of quiet where Dr Roser took a sip of water. Before they knew it, it was over. It was time for their "date" with Bernard. Kris remarked that she 'thought she got the whole thing there' as she waved her tape around, Dan groaned about being hungry and wondering if he could eat half his sandwich before they had to get over to the anatomy labs, and Hugo silently rolled up another cigarette. For Ami's part, she said that she had a few ideas for what they could write about if anyone was stuck.

They had become such a tight-knit group, she realised. _Her_ little group.

As they left the lecture hall, they were spotted by Dr Roser.

'Hugo,' she said firmly.

He tried to stifle a moan and turned to Ami and the others. 'Give me a moment.'

Ami nodded, looking over his shoulder to Dr Roser who offered her an appreciative smile. Though they hadn't said anything to each other in the end, she seemed to want to let Ami know she was grateful for yesterday.

She kept her eyes on Hugo as he walked silently over to his mother until the lecture hall doors closed and they were no longer visible.

* * *

The day seemed to drag at first, but then it suddenly sped-up in the final hour as the anticipation for her "date" with Hugo really began to sink in. Even he seemed to be affected, being noticeably clumsier during pathology and anatomy. Then, the working day ended and Ami realised that both she and Hugo had become visibly more and more nervous. Ami started to wonder whether it was really the date she was anxious about or the fact that, when they parted ways with Kris and Dan for the day, they inevitably would find out their plans for the evening. Then the teasing would begin.

 _Maybe if we just make our excuses without more than a goodbye, they won't have_ time _to tease us_ , Ami considered, half wondering if Hugo was listening.

'I doubt it'll work,' Hugo muttered. She wasn't sure whether he was answering her or a query Dan had posed. Knowing Hugo, it was a clever choice of words to answer both. 'Kris has the eyes of a hawk,' he added suddenly, glancing at Ami, and then turning to Kris herself and pointing to the exposed sinews of Bernard's back muscle. 'Do you notice anything?'

Ami smiled. _Yes, definitely being clever with his words._

Once they were outside Hugo rolled up another cigarette, his fourth that day. That was a lot by his standards and it did not escape the others.

'Gee, Hughie, you're smoking like a chimney today,' Kris scolded him lightly. 'Stressed about the essay?'

He cocked an eyebrow, patting himself down for his lighter. 'Just feeling a little strained—'

'You just got over a sickness,' Dan cut him off. 'It's a bad idea to smoke so much in one day.'

'Duly noted, Mum and Dad,' Hugo replied tartly.

Ami didn't like Hugo's smoking either but she suspected the anxiety of tonight might be playing a part in it as well. Not just because of her but because all his sisters and mother would be there too. _Goodness, we are a mess!_

'So, I know we're having our library session tomorrow,' Dan suddenly said, changing the subject. 'But maybe we should try and go over a few things now before we go home.'

Kris chuckled, 'Wow, you've suddenly become a little trooper, haven't you? Is this essay really getting to you that much too?'

'Look, I just want to do well!' Dan protested, then turned to Hugo and Ami. 'You two feel like coming?'

The pair looked at each other. Ordinarily, it would have been a resounding yes. It was nice to study together and being with Dan and Kris really did make it all the more fun to discuss their findings. But not tonight. They had places to be.

 _Guess we have to explain ourselves_ , Ami thought.

'So much for keeping it under our hats,' Hugo said, muffled.

'Um, what?' she replied aloud.

'I'll explain in a bit,' he whispered quickly. 'Dan, Kris… we, um, won't be able to tonight… That is, Ami and myself. You two can please yourselves but, you know—'

Kris crossed her arms, her face an unreadable mix of interest, amusement and curiosity. She glanced between the two, the "curiosity" in her starting to prevail as she realised what was going on. 'Oh, really? Are you two...?'

'Sitting in a tree,' Dan pipped up, a joke that Kris giggled at, Hugo rolled his eyes to, and Ami didn't get. A grin crept across the tow-head's face as he clarified, 'Tree being a metaphor for "dating", that is.'

Ami felt her heart begin to quicken and her cheeks start to burn as the question was finally posed to them. She looked to Hugo, seeking guidance. His expression was carefully guarded, and she realised it was on her to decide how much they told them. _Well, it-it is a sort of date, isn't it?_ she thought to herself, taking it as read that he would hear.

'Yeah, but…' Hugo began, trailing off a little. 'Do you really want to tell them? I mean, _really?!_ '

'Tell us _what?_ ' Kris asked in a distinctly teasing tone.

Ami sighed. 'I don't mind how we put it, if you don't mind.'

Hugo swallowed, 'I don't mind.'

_Then let's just tell them._

He nodded and turned to the others. 'Okay, fine. Here's the thing: we're going out together this evening. Keep your hair on, though. We'd appreciate it if you could _not_ make a big deal out of this. We're just going to an exhibition being thrown by my sister's sugar daddy—'

'Oooo, which sister?' Dan quizzed randomly. 'The tall one, the poor one or the ginger?'

'The ginger— I mean, _Sophia_.' Hugo stopped, correcting himself. 'Wait, how do you know what my sisters look like?'

'I spied a picture in your mum's office and you have a _very_ attractive gene pool. Present company included,' Dan replied in comical lechery.

Hugo scowled, 'Haven't you ever heard that it's not a good idea to perv on your friend's sisters?'

'Come on, Hugh!' he joked. 'I was only teasing.'

'Indeed,' Kris agreed, smirking wickedly. 'And you are distracting us from the really important thing here. Hugo and Ami are going on a _date_.'

She flicked some of her long, dark hair out of her eyes and chuckled to herself. 'It's funny but in a way I always figured you two would pair off…'

'Saw it in your _crystal ball_?' Dan commented.

Kris rolled her eyes. 'Oh, ha ha _ha_! You're just jealous that all the pretty girls go after Hughie.'

'See that's where your wrong,' Dan protested, folding his arms. 'As far as _I_ remember, Ami's the first girl he's ever gone on a date with. Like, ever.'

Hugo's cheeks were starting to flare. 'Dan—'

'Oh, give him a break,' Kris countered with a cheeky chortle, barely registering that Hugo had tried to speak. 'He spent most of his teenage years lying horizontally, and _not_ in the good way.'

'Kris! I mean, _bloody hell!_ ' Hugo whined, covering his ears and looking to Ami. The insinuation of "lying horizontally" was thankfully lost in translation to her, and by the slightly sheepish look he gave her, it was better that way.

'Oh, don't be a prude! I thought you were okay with coma jokes now?'

He scowled. 'You know perfectly well that's _not_ what my problem is with what you said.'

Kris pursed her lips tauntingly at him. It was so rare she got a chance to really run circles around Hugo and she was clearly enjoying herself.

Dan was not done, either. With a snicker he posited to Kris: 'I'd bet you my bursary this month our Hughie-boy here is still a virgin. Better be gentle with him, Ams—'

 _'Will you two stop talking as if we aren't here?!'_ Hugo snapped.

Now it was Ami's cheeks that lit-up like a stop sign about _that_ insinuation. Funnily enough, this statement seemed to have not bothered Hugo at all, who promptly decided to end this taunting – seemingly for Ami's sake more than his own. She folded her arms shyly and forced a smile for him.

'We could,' Kris said, her eyes shining with mischief. 'But then we wouldn't get to see you squirm. You look so darn cute when you're embarrassed, Hughie. You too, Ami. You look like you just finished a two-mile jog.'

'Ugh, you're as bad as each other,' Hugo grumbled. 'Maybe _you two_ should be together.'

For the briefest of moments, Ami caught a glimmer of panic in Dan's eyes as they flickered between Kris and Hugo. In curiosity, she tilted her head to regard him. He was usually pretty good at hiding his feelings with a flat-smile, as he was now, but his eyes revealed all following that one statement. How had she not noticed this before now?

 _Oh_ , she thought with a small smile. _Now I understand._

Kris sidestepped the comment completely as if it had never been said at all.

'Come on, Hughie,' she said in a distinctly sweeter tone. 'It's like Dan said earlier, we're just messing with you. Seriously, you two, have a good night. I think it's really cute that you're seeing each other, even if you were doing it sneakily behind our backs.'

'Th-That wasn't our intention,' Ami promised, softly.

Kris offered her a gentle smile. 'Heh, don't worry about it. I don't blame you. Sorry, Ami – we didn't mean to embarrass you, right Dan?

'Y-Yeah,' Dan's voice croaked. Less than a second past and his eyes brightened again as he winked at Ami. 'Yeah, you two have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't do.'

'Says the man with the hickey,' Kris scoffed, twirling gracefully to walk away. 'Have a good night, you pair!'

Dan dutifully span to follow her, like a loyal retriever dog. He immediately mumbled away, justifying his love bite to her. 'Look, I got a bit drunk and woke up with this. I don't even _know_ who did it. Could have been anyone! Hell, it-it could have been you for all I know—!'

' _Ha_ , you wish!'

As they watched them go relief spread through Ami. Finally, she and Hugo would be alone. They turned to face each other. Neither said anything but Ami could tell they were both thinking the same thing. Hell, Hugo _knew_ they were thinking the same thing!

 _Let's leave them to it_ , Ami thought.

'I always do,' Hugo muttered in vague amusement.

Now they were alone, his posture seemed coyer as he rolled back and forth on his heels.

'So…'

'So?'

'Well, the museum is just across London Bridge so we can get there from campus in about twenty minutes,' Hugo suggested. 'Although we can take the tube, if you'd prefer?'

Ami shook her head, smiling. 'No, I'd like to walk. I haven't really been over the river yet so it'll be nice to do a bit of walking.'

'Well, you can see Tower Bridge pretty clearly mid-way,' Hugo told her. 'It'll be like a mini-tour.'

He held out his arm, offering to lead the way and Ami felt a tingling run all over her skin. To both of their surprises, though, she found herself laying her hand gently on his elbow. He froze still as she struggled to find the words she watched.

'Hugo,' she began. 'Th-Thank you for asking me to go with you. I… I don't think I would have ever had the courage to do it myself. That is, ask you to go with me to, um, somewhere.'

He gasped, then cleared his throat awkwardly.

Even Ami managed to chuckle at that. It had clearly not been his intention to gulp quite so loudly.

'Um, sorry,' he apologised sweetly. 'And I wanted to be all smooth too.'

She shook her head, 'Don't apologise. It's… _kiwamete kawai_.'

Mirroring his phrase from yesterday, now it was his turn to feel that light-headedness he had given her. His cheeks shone with flush and cheer as she shyly walked to stand next to him, ready to let him lead the way.

'Well, thanks!' Hugo bleated happily, slowly entwining his arm with hers. To Ami's own disbelief, she naturally leant forwards him as they walked towards the front gate. They had only just stepped onto the pavement when he quickly crouched down and indicated towards one of the side buildings. It was where the academic doctors had their offices and, right there, they saw Dr Roser talking to one of her third year students.

'We'd better be quick before my mum sees us and decides to walk with us or something,' he told her.

Ami's ears burned. _Of course, she will be there tonight!_

Suddenly, she tugged on his arm and made to run. He once again inhaled in wonder as she offered him a bold smile, one she was surprised at herself for too. 'Well, come on! Let's pick up the pace!'

Hugo was stunned but burst out laughing as they began to run. They kept with each other's pace and they got a few odd looks from other people – including other couples – as they rushed up the street and towards London Bridge. Only stopping to cross the road twice, before they knew it, they were standing at the long stretch that reached across the Thames. The sweet smell of caramelised nuts, ice cream and, _something else_ … Ami looked and saw a dessert waffle stand. Those! Those were what she was smelling and it was amazing. Everything, the whole atmosphere, was a mixture of smoke, salt and sugar. A perfect description for London.

Their arms loosely slipped away from each other but Hugo caught her hand and softly led her towards the edge. As his fingers encircled her own, she was surprised at how calm she felt over all.

Hugo walked in confided, slow strides to pace himself with Ami.

 _He must take this route across the bridge every day - while I have seldom seen any of London since I got here_ , she mused.

Then, he suddenly pointed out across the river towards the bridge opposite. Ami recognised it immediately – Tower Bridge.

'Look, they're preparing to raise it, you see that big tourist boat coming up stream?' Hugo suddenly announced. 'How lucky is that? I hardly ever pass when its going up. Let's grab some waffles and watch, my treat!'

Ami's stomach growled at the prospect of that sweet-and-savoury deliciousness touching her lips. Once again, hand in hand, they walked over to the beacon of that gooey goodness. They gave them the full works, too; ice cream, melted chocolate and strawberries laid atop a piping hot caramel waffle.

'I've been to these fancy dos before,' Hugo explained to her as they walked back towards the edge, 'They never have filling food so may as well eat now.'

It wasn't the healthiest of meals, true, but the moment that dessert touched her tongue Ami regretted nothing.

'This is delicious!' she couldn't stop herself from saying.

'I know, it's great, huh?' Hugo beamed enthusiastically, looking back over the river towards the opposite bridge. 'When my parents first separated, my sister Aude used to bring us up here to talk about our feelings. Sophia would cry. Helen would try and climb up on the railing, and I would just… stare out at Tower Bridge and hope I'd get to see it lift. It rarely did. It was never the right time.'

Ami giggled.

'What?'

'Nothing, it's just,' she paused to pick the right words, 'I really like hearing these stories about your childhood. It makes you feel so… real.'

Hugo puffed out a chuckle, 'Real?'

'Ugh, maybe that isn't the right word?' she questioned herself.

In a sense, it was. For so long she had felt distracted by Hugo's face and the prospect that there might be more to him than met the eye. Now, hearing childhood stories and tales of mundanity were refreshing. Especially considering her double life as a Sailor Senshi. It was nice to remember sometimes that life wasn't always filled with monsters, magical crystals and Phantoms.

'Well,' Hugo smirked, taking a sip of water, 'I have plenty more. The good thing about being the youngest of four is that you never run out of insane sibling stories.'

'It will be interesting to meet them all tonight,' she admitted.

She had met Helen, of course, but she was looking forward to seeing what Sophia and Audrey were like.

'Well, be warned,' he said faux-ominously. 'Sophie in particular is quite a character.'

Finally, the bridge was raised and the tourist boat chugged towards it. Ami took another bite of the waffle, eyes fixed on the sight and wondered what it would be like to be on the boat going through.

'Ami, you've got a—'

Without hesitation, he reached out to gently clean away a tiny dollop of ice cream from the tip of her nose. She stared as he then licked his finger clean with a coquettish smile. It was hypnotic.

 _What a lovely mouth_ , she ruminated.

Then she realised what had transpired – as well as what she had thought – and she blushed hideously, covering her nose.

'Heh, sorry,' he said softly.

She quickly shook her head. 'No, no, don't be. I'm the one who thought something like… _that_ —'

'Ami.'

'Y-Yes?'

'Let me make something very, very clear,' he began, his voice suddenly deep and throaty as he confessed with a dark expression: 'You never, ever have to apologise for thinking _that_ sort of thing about me. Honestly, it's _invigorating_.'

Her breath hitched. The way he had said the word "invigorating". Energise, vivify, stimulate, give energy to, _kakkidzukeru_. How did he go from being so sweet to essentially _sin incarnate_ in one breath? Well, Ami's idea of sin, at least. Once again, she felt the overwhelming desire to kiss him, just as she had the other day, and do… _other things_ …

She quickly looked away. Serenity, help her! What was _wrong_ with her?!

'Um, t-thank you then,' was all she could utter.

'No problem.'

Her heart was going into overdrive. Desperately, she tried not to think anything else too direct. Then, she glanced Hugo's to see it twisted in concentration. Her heart ached. He was clearly trying to block it out again.

The boat passed through.

'Hugo, please don't think you have to be on guard around me,' Ami said earnestly. Their eyes met, and she smiled. 'I want you to be yourself, even if it means you hear the odd thing I think. I know you can't help it and—and—well, I know my emotions and thoughts are running out of control right now. I think what I am trying to say is…' she sighed. 'I… I really like you and I'm not used to being like this.'

Hugo rubbed the back of his head, seeming desperate not to burst out into joyful, unmanly giggles. 'Well, um, thank you. It's nice to… be myself.'

'Good.'

'A-and,' he took a breath. 'I still mean what I said. I like you too.'

The bridge slowly began to close again.

'I hope that's cleared the air.'

'Me too.'

She was glad it was out there. The other day in his room, finding out about his abilities and how isolated it had made him feel, and then knowing that ever "inappropriate" thought she had could potentially be clear as a bell for him to hear – it had been a lot to take in. Yet, it forced her to admit the truth. She liked him so much and now he knew. He may have guessed before but now she had clarified what he had been hearing. It was liberating, exciting and so… un-Mercury.

'We should probably get going, then,' Ami suggested.

'Oh, definitely!'

They turned away from the bridge edge to look at the long path ahead of them. 'Well, let's finish these waffles off as we walk,' Hugo suggested. 'The NKM is yonder. Should probably get there for the opening speech seeing as I hear it'll be delivered by my possible future brother-in-law…'

* * *

As Hugo and Ami reached the other side of the bridge, passing the Monument, neither of them noticed the shimmering silver Bentley car parked to their right nearby. The well-dressed driver did not notice them either, to occupied with his cigarette to care – but the passenger in the back saw them. He knew they would likely walk this way, seeing as the NKM was so-close to their campus.

'There they are,' the man muttered under his breath.

Before he could voice another thought, his car phone rang out. He placed down a glass of sparkling wine to take the receiver, knowing immediately who it would be. 'Bernard, how are the preparations?'

' _Excellent, sir. The guests should be arriving shortly and the exhibits have been displayed exactly to your liking.'_

'And the pièce-de-résistance? Did it make it there safely?'

' _It was a very large piece, sir, but she made it here in perfect condition. Dr Olafsson insisted we keep it covered and only unveil it at the end of his talk.'_

'I thought he would. Very well, he has a wonderful flair about him.'

' _As you say, sir. Such a pity you will not be here. After all the money you put into it, too!'_

'It cannot be helped. I will be leaving London tonight but shall be back for the weekend. Do give my personal regards to all my guests, to Dr Olafsson, his charming fiancée and… her family.'

' _That I shall, sir. I have my speech complete with your apologies in my pocket.'_

The driver climbed back into the car.

'I must be going now. Be sure to run through the health and safety procedures before the guests arrive. I would… hate for any harm to come to the guests.'

' _Of course, sir. I have it in hand.'_

'I have every confidence in you. Good night, Bernard.'

' _Safe travels, Mr Karim.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, one of the reasons why this chapter took so long to do had a lot to do with real life issues. I am a graduate student who had a lot of essays to write, which led to serious writer-block once I was done. Then, there was my laptop that completely lost half of my word documents due to a formatting issue. This included the original version of this. I had to piece it back together out of three separate "plan" documents I did for this and the next chapter.
> 
> Those of you wondering, no this date to the museum will not just be a happy-happy time; the plot will inevitably catch up with our two heroes. On the plus side, they are now on the same page. They like each other. 
> 
> So, now do we get to call them boyfriend and girlfriend? You can all decide.
> 
> You may also notice in this chapter there was a scene that, for the first time, is not seen enough the perception of Ami (or her past as Sailor Mercury). That was the final scene. As Ami moves closer to the truth of what is going on, I will add more scenes like this as it comes clear she is no longer as isolated as she once was.
> 
> But what do we thinking of the mysterious watcher at the end?  
> Is he connected to the Phantom? Is _he_ the Phantom himself?  
>  Is that last question a hint that something Phantom-y will be going on down at the museum?
> 
> Tune in next time. Same Mercury time, same Mercury channel.


	11. 水星 - Shy Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been just over a year since I was able to update this fic. Those of you unaware, I was working towards completing my MA programme. Now the assignments are all done, I really am hoping to start writing more again - not just this but also the tie-in pieces for the Platinum Arc relating to what the other Senshi are up to. I also hope to start in earnest on my own original work, which I have been putting off for so long.
> 
> Regarding this - I will probably start posting the tie-ins after Chapter 12 or 13 are posted as it will be at this point Ami/Hugo's plot will be dovetailing with that I perceive to be going on in Japan. These won't be multiple chapter fics like this is but long one-offs.
> 
> For now, I give you the final return to 'The Guardian of Old London Town'.

‘Tell me more about your sisters,’ Ami suddenly said.

 

Hugo chuckled, ‘Well, what would you like to know about them?’

 

They were nearing the Nekane Karim Museum, or the NKM, apparently – per the pamphlet – was one of four museums of its kind dedicated to uncovering the “hidden, forgotten and mysterious treasures of the world that seem out of place in the canon of human history.” They were relatively new and funded entirely through donations from interested parties and the founder himself, Amir Karim, a man so mysterious that his photograph never appeared in any publicity article or newspaper anywhere. Ami found out through a quick internet search that he was a bit of a recluse; if any pictures of him were leaked, they were often immediately deleted.

 

‘I’ve met Helen but I was wondering what Audrey and Sophia are like?’

 

‘Well, you already know I’m the youngest,’ he began slowly. ‘Aude is the oldest and she’s a house officer at Royal London. She’s the standard big sister – nice, caring and responsible. Always makes everything look easy, so I always felt stupid for finding stuff so hard when I was a kid. She’s always there when we need her, though.’

 

‘She sounds lovely.’

 

‘Yeah, Aude’s cool. Let’s see – you’ve already met Helen, so I don’t know what else there is to add. She works at the Tile Café, is going into her final year of MBBS, and wants to be a psychiatrist. Finally, there’s Soph who just finished phase two and will be beginning an intercalated year in paediatrics.’

 

‘It must be nice having all your siblings in the same field. Yet all of you want to do different things with it, so there’s no competition,’ she observed. She found herself thinking of her mother. ‘I admired her. My Mama, I mean. Always so beautiful, smart and dedicated… I wanted to be like her. My father had left and I had no siblings, so…’

 

Hugo smirked. ‘There isn’t much sibling rivalry between me and my sisters, it’s true. But if Dad had his way, we’d all be aspiring neurosurgeons. Your mum’s a doctor, right?’

 

‘That’s why I always wanted to be one! She’s what you call, what is it again? A general practitioner.’

 

‘Like my mum. Well, for the most part, until she went all ethics-minded. But anyway, that’s my family. Oh, and Dad’s a neurosurgeon tax-dodging in Switzerland.’

 

‘Aha, yes, you mentioned that. Being the youngest and a boy – you must have been the “wished-for son.”’

 

‘I’m certain I’ve said this before but, frankly, being the only boy I got sent to an all-boys school which was awful, so bad, in fact, that I slipped into a coma just—’

 

‘—to escape it,’ Ami finished, chuckling. ‘Yes, I remember _that_ joke.’

 

‘It’s wasn’t a joke. The other guys said _I_ was the closest thing to a girl in there!’

 

Then he laughed. It brought a small smile to Ami’s lips, too. She was so momentarily dazed that she barely registered Hugo grabbing her hand and swiftly leading her across a large busy road. They were on the other side by the time she realised he had taken advantage of a gap in traffic rather than wait for the little green man.

 

He gently dropped her hand.

 

She felt bereft, even though she had hardly noticed it was being held at all; like it was a natural state of being to her now.

 

‘Sorry,’ Hugo apologised.

 

‘Huh? Oh, um, what for?’

 

‘Dragging you across on a red-man,’ he replied. ‘I just saw an opening and—’

 

‘Oh, don’t worry!’ she said quickly. ‘I was, um, “in my own existence.”’

 

They continued walking. She was trying to use a British-ism but from the way Hugo was fighting back a snicker, she knew she must have got it wrong somewhere. He chose not to correct her, though, and he sighed wistfully, ‘Yes, your head was filled with so much white noise it was almost unsettling.’

 

‘Oh! Um, I’m sorry…?’

 

Ami wasn’t even sure why she was apologising.

 

‘It’s nothing,’ he assured her. ‘I'm just so used to you mumbling away inside your mind now that I feel unsettled if there was silence.’

 

He held out his arm for her again. Without hesitation, she slowly wrapped her own arms around it and they walked on. It was not far now, judging by the map on the back of the pamphlet. Just ‘round the corner and—

 

‘Ah!’ Hugo sighed. ‘Finally, there it is!’

 

The NKM was a set of repurposed Edwardian terraced houses that – again, according to the pamphlet – had all been inherited by the museum’s founder when a great-uncle on his mother’s side passed away and the small businesses that occupied the buildings either folded or found newer, more spacious premises. Clearly, this was a family who had plenty of money to swing around.

 

Hugo pulled out the ticket as they walked arm-in-arm up the stairs.

 

Ami pulled out the already well-used A5 booklet depicting a white, beautiful jewellery box on the front.

 

‘It is written here,’ she read aloud, ‘that “it had been the dream of Mr Karim’s mother to open a museum for strange and wonderful artefacts that did not quite belong within the other museums of London. Hence, upon her passing he decided to open a museum dedicated to little explored European history and name it in her honour.”’

 

They reached the door where a museum guide – a surprisingly young-looking man with gelled black-hair – was standing. The moment he saw Hugo, his smile widened, as if he had been expecting him.

 

‘In that case,’ Hugo said, responding to Ami with a chuckle, ‘if I make it in immunology and discover a cure for an infectious disease, I’ll be sure to name it Imogepraxin or something—’ he nodded politely to the doorman. ‘Hugo Zehren, and this is my guest, Ami Mizuno.’

 

‘Zehren, Hugo… Ah, yes!’ the young guide muttered. ‘You were mentioned…’

 

He did not check the ticket, instead gleaming his eyes over Hugo, then Ami and back again. Though strange, Ami wouldn’t have given it a second thought had it not been for the look of suspicion on Hugo’s face. Her heart sank a little; what… on earth? Did he know this man? Was he worried about something?

 

After three full-seconds of this, the tow-haired guide seemed to realise how odd his behaviour was and stepped aside to let them in.

 

‘Ahem, my apologies,’ he explained quickly, now himself weary of the distrusting look on Hugo’s face and the befuddled look on Ami’s. He offered them both a bright smile. ‘Yes – your sister, _Miss_ Zehren, said you would be coming so I—’

 

At that moment, there was movement from inside the building. A woman with strawberry-blonde hair curled into silky, glossy waves bounced up the hall towards them so fast that Ami even braced for impact. For a moment, it almost looked as if she would fling herself at them in a fit of rage. She looked as if it was costing her more energy to hold back her fist than sock Hugo across the jaw.

 

Hugo, on the other hand, seemed to resign himself to this oncoming ball of fiery-ginger hair.

 

‘Oi, Mister!’ she snapped in a high-pitched, cutesy voice. She walked by the door man, she stood in front of them with her hands on her hips and a pout on her face. ‘You’re _late_. God, what are you wearing—?!’

 

‘Fashionably so,’ Hugo cut her off. ‘Look, we couldn’t help it. We had classes right up until—’

 

‘Whatever!’ the woman snapped, grabbing his other arm. ‘Get in here. Sebby is about to start his speech!’

 

With one great tug, she single-handedly dragged both Hugo and Ami into the reception area of the museum. Suddenly, Ami had forgotten all about the doorman and focused instead on this new “threat”. Still, based on her mannerisms and her looks, and the way Hugo was talking to her, there was no doubt as to who she was. Once they were inside, she trotted delicately towards a pair of large doors at the end of the hall.

 

‘Come on, Hughie, look lively!’

 

‘Alright, alright, we’re coming!’ Hugo called after her.

 

They lingered to remove their coats as another young museum worker offered to hang them in the cloakroom. ‘Please feel free to leave your coats and bags with me,’ she spoke softly. ‘Just so you know, it is an open bar tonight.’

 

‘I hope they have coffee,’ Hugo muttered under his breath.

 

Ami looked back at the red-haired girl, now tapping her expensive-looking silver pumps impatiently at them. She began, ‘Is that—?’

 

‘Sophia,’ Hugo confirmed.

 

The sister folded her arms, giving him the death glare. ‘Are you being slow just to annoy me?’

 

‘The world doesn’t revolve around you, Soph,’ came the biting response. He took Ami’s hand and led her towards the door. ‘This is Ami by the way—’

 

Without warning, Sophia grabbed Ami’s free-hand and shook it hurriedly. Her next words were delivered at such a speed that Ami could barely translate half of it in her head. ‘Ami –nice to meet you. Sorry, if I seem pushy but maybe, one day, if Hughie here ever actually _achieves_ anything of importance that requires him to present his research in front of all his friends and family _and_ the national press, you’ll understand why I’m being this way. Now, look _lively_!’

 

‘E-Excuse me…?’

 

Ami felt her mouth instinctively gape open.

 

‘Yes,’ Hugo cut in, scolded his sister. He seemed to sense – directly mindread – Ami’s pain. ‘Speak at one-hundred-miles an hour. Very considerate, Soph.’

 

Sophia ignored him, opened the door and waved them in frantically. Dutifully, they followed.

 

Inside, Ami was genuinely surprised at how many people there were crowded around a small stage with a podium on it. There was already someone at it. He was wearing a name badge and talking about the museum.

 

_‘—Mr Karim would like to apologise for not being here in person, though he wishes all of you a pleasant evening—’_

 

Sophia sighed in relief.

 

‘Good, he isn’t on yet.’ Immediately, she seemed calmer. ‘Um, so,’ and she pointed to a table where a waiter stood mixing drinks, whispering, ‘it’s open and they also do non-alcoholic cocktails and coffee. I know what _you’re_ like, Hughie. Then, just jump in a seat. Sebby should be on any minute so, um, don’t dawdle.’

 

With that, she bounced off to the side to make her way back to her own seat. With her eyes following her, Ami saw her sit down with Dr Roser on one side and a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties on the other. He had wavy, ash-brown hair at ear-length and wore a pair of thick, rimless glasses. The first thing Ami thought was how out-of-place he looked with the bubbly, pretty girl beside him.

 

Casting her eye further around the room, she also noticed a large object set beside the podium that was draped in a deep-blue velvet throw.

 

‘What can I get you, sir?’ the barista at the drinks table asked.

 

‘Black coffee for me and… you, Ami?’

 

‘Oh, um, a latte, please!’

 

_Better not drink_. Not only was Ami not a fan of alcohol but she never knew when there might be a Phantom attack. He had been quiet a bit too long for her liking.

 

_‘—It was the desire of Mr Karim to share the wonders of this eighteen-month expedition with all of you and to grant a platform to the talented young archaeologist who headed it—’_

 

Ami’s eyes flickered to the row of seats behind Sophia and she spied the ice-blond and blue-streaked hair of Helen. She was sitting with another woman with short, wavy blonde hair who she presumed was the eldest Zehren sibling, Audrey.

 

‘We had better sit down,’ Hugo said, carrying both of their drinks. ‘Looks like ol’ Seb is about to take stage.’

 

She nodded and they anxiously tip-toed towards the nearest empty pair of seats they could find, right at the back of the hall. Even so, they had to squeeze by a few other people to do so when it became clear the row was not going to shift down to make way for them. Ami’s chest pounded as she finally sat down though she had no idea why. Then, when Hugo handed her the pleasantly warm drink and gave her a sweet, reassuring smile, her heart squeezed so hard and excitedly in her chest she couldn’t help but grin back.

 

_‘Now, without further ado, we will hand you over to our “star” this evening – Dr Sebastian Olfasson!’_  
  


The room broke into applause. Sophia gave her partner’s arm a reassuring squeeze just as he stood to ascend the stage and take the podium. Clutching a small set of speech cards with him, he took a deep breath and waited for the room to fall silent. Out of the corner of her eye, Ami noticed a few journalists squabbling down notes and switched on their voice recorders.

 

Sebastian smiled nervously, nodded and greeted the hall with a gravelly voice.

 

‘Good evening, everyone. Words cannot express how much I appreciate your presence here tonight, to witness the fruits of what has been essentially my life for several years now. It is a project I have been focused on since before I became acquainted with Mr Karim but I am certain that without his funding and support, I would not he here today. So, though he is not here tonight, I would like to thank his employees and representatives here tonight for all the assistance they have given to putting this whole thing together.’

 

This incited another wave of applause from the audience.

 

‘All the items in the collection we have on display here have been recovered from my expedition not only in Iceland but in other Northern European countries – Norway, Finland, Switzerland and even here in the United Kingdom.’

 

Hugo, Ami and the rest of the audience glanced about the room. There were several lit cases of various small artefacts and objects that could not be fully appreciated from where they were sat. Then, there were the tapestries and stone-slabs depicting ancient scenes that probably looked even more impressive when you were stood directly below them.

 

‘They have all been catalogued and dated by an independent source,’ Sebastian explained, a sly smile crossing his lips. ‘They have been checked and double checked; all of them are, indeed, thought to be of European craftsmanship, made from materials found in the countries of their origin or imports from countries. Some examples, if you would all look to the right at this rather ornate tapestry – show a local craftsmanship yet also include silk—’

 

There was some muttering in the room.

 

Hugo seemed fixated on the depiction of the tapestry, which displayed what looked like a battle within a great hall rather than a flat battlefield. Ami cocked her head, ‘What do you think of it?’ she whispered.

 

‘I don’t know,’ he muttered back, not taking his eyes off it. ‘It… reminds me of something.’

 

_Me too_ , Ami thought.

 

‘This would indicate,’ Sebastian went on, ‘that the culture these all hailed from likely had a healthy trade system with the Middle East and further afoot, though further research is needed. The item itself was so well-preserved due to it having been buried in a cave of ice in the Swiss alps.’

 

_‘Remarkable!’_ mumbled a middle-aged man sitting in front of Ami. The rest of the room seemed so impressed she wished she knew more about the subject herself.

 

‘The other examples you see hanging about the room were each found in similar circumstances,’ Sebastian said, pointing about the room to the various other drapes and textiles on display, ‘The one directly opposite our Swiss example was discovered in a Neolithic burial site—’

 

This one was more damaged than the previous as it appeared to depict a man with the Sun coming out of his hair. The face and body were severely damaged. Still, it looked as if it might have been very vibrant in colour once with the red and green still being noticeable though the yellow of the Sun-Hair had long since faded, though the outlines still made it clear that was what it once was.

 

‘Even when it was buried with its final owner right here in Britain some two-thousand-eight-hundred-years ago, this damaged yet beautiful work of art was itself already many thousands of years old,’ he described keenly

 

That piqued Ami’s interest.

 

‘ _Naganen?!_ ’ she said, louder than she intended.

 

The man from before glanced behind him and her cheeks reddened as she whispered her apologies. She cautiously glanced at Hugo, but once again he seemed transfixed by the tapestry itself as if once again trying to remember where he might have seen something like it before. _‘What… is it?’_ he whispered to himself.

 

‘The Neolithic period is about five-thousand years ago,’ Ami told him. ‘I can’t believe it is in such good condition.’

 

Hugo nodded.

 

‘I know what you’re all thinking,’ Sebastian said cunningly. ‘You’re thinking, _“But how could it be so old when civilisation in Europe did not truly develop until, at the earliest, some five-thousand years ago, with the building of places such as Stonehenge?”_ This question plagued me too when I first saw the results of some of the carbon dating on these items. Nonetheless, I believe that the ingenuity of the people who created these beautiful objects can be best summarised with the two stars of this collection.’

 

He stepped out from behind his podium and walked towards a small glass cabinet in front of him, which held just one item.

 

Ami recognised it immediately: the ornate box on the leaflet!

 

‘All of you doubtless have already seen this item,’ Sebastian said, echoing her thoughts back at her. ‘This is the ivory casket which was published on the front cover of the brochures we released with your invites as well as with the initial press release last week.’

 

Everyone seemed enthusiastic to finally be hearing more about it. For her part, Ami suddenly felt keen to see it up close.

 

One of the museum guides stepped forward to open the case while Sebastian put on some rubber gloves. He then gently lifted the precious object out, his eyes lit with excitement and passion.

 

‘This small casket was found in what is thought to have been a woman's bedroom in a settlement buried beneath ice. As you can see, it is carved on all four sides and on the lid, which is very fragile with age.’ He placed it down on a small table facing the audience and pointed to a broken keyhole on the front. ‘As you can see, it was originally designed to be locked. This was already damaged when we discovered it, indicating that someone had possibly tried to force it open in the past. Nonetheless, the lid was frozen shut when we found it, literally, encased in a block of ice!’

 

A small titter of laughter broke out amongst the audience.

 

‘We were incredibly concerned that if we were to thaw it too quickly, it would fall apart. Therefore, we did it slowly. So slowly, in fact, it took us months to complete the process. Once we did, we delicately carbon dated the bone from one of the fractured corners. It was also submitted for an x-ray. And you will never believe what we discovered.’

 

There was a pregnant pause before be gleefully added, ‘I think it best to show all of you.’

 

He then stepped forward and gently lifted the lid.

 

Immediately, a little melody played.

 

The entire room erupted into astounded mutters and gasps.

 

Ami and Hugo glanced at each other.

 

‘What we have here,’ Sebastian chuckled excitedly, ‘is what might well be one of, if not _the actual_ , oldest musical box in history. Please, you are welcome to take pictures.’

 

The cameras flash frantically.

 

The melody played on.

 

Ami tried to make sense of it in her head. The low pitches sounded like hail striking glass and the high pitches were like the narrow clag of metal, like small symbols being struck in a glass dome.

 

‘It’s so…’ she mumbled, unable to finish her trail of thought.

 

_Para-para-_

_para-para-do-dee-dee-da-do…_

_da…da…_

_para-para -dee-dee-dala…_

_Dalala-pa-pa-dala-do-da-para-rala—_

 

The more she listened, the more enticed she felt. It was like it was transporting her back to a time when this sound was probably fresh and new. Thousands of years ago. She might well have been alive at the time this musical box was first made. Of course, it was silly to think _she_ would have ever seen _this_ very music box or heard its tune… but that sound still felt very, very familiar. It returned her to a very different time. A land of shimmering snow where massive diamonds glowed with the fiery lustre, keeping the people warm in great, gleaming castles built from never-melting ice.

 

Beautiful.

 

Comforting.

 

Sad.

 

Ami felt a tear roll down her left cheek. That was enough to snap out of her transfixion with the simplistic tune. She sheepishly glanced over to Hugo, worried he might have noticed. She didn’t want to worry him.

 

To her surprise, he seemed just a fixated on the musical box as she had been, if not more so. There were no tears in his eyes but there was hardly any light, either. It was as if he were sleeping with his eyes open. He stayed that way for so long that Ami flinched when he finally blinked and turned to look at her. He looked confused, and then concerned when he saw the look on her face.

 

‘Um, are you okay?’

 

She sniffed, ‘Y-Yes.’ Laughing, she added, ‘I feel silly being so affected by a musical box.’

 

Dr Sebastian Olafsson closed the musical box very gently as the amazed crowd continued to mutter in awe amongst themselves. All around her, Ami heard the scribbling pencils of the journalists and the nervous clinks of wine glasses.

 

She saw Hugo take a huge gulp of his black coffee as if it was whiskey.

 

‘Are _you_ okay?’ she asked hesitantly.

 

He cleared his throat nervously.

 

‘Yeah, I think. I…felt pretty affected by that song.’

 

Maybe that was the effect it was supposed to have. Back in the old days of Mercury, she remembered faintly that song was one of their greatest weapons, to the point where the priesthood would communicate almost entirely in song. The old language of those days was incredibly musical by nature where only a few words was enough to cause rain heavy enough to swallow entire settlements like a magic spell. Indeed, what more could you expect from a planet whose holy guardian weapon was a harp?

 

‘Wasn’t that beautiful, ladies and gentlemen?’ Sebastian, looked thoroughly pleased with himself. ‘We are clearly dealing with a culture far advanced of anything previously uncovered, or even afterwards. Anthropologically speaking, these items… should not exist. This has led us all to wonder… what happened? For a culture to have advanced to the point of being a civilisation like this, only to regress back to the Neolithic period… _something happened_ , something quite apocalyptic.’

 

Ami froze.

 

_Queen Metalia_.

 

Could it be that… Sebastian Olafsson had discovered evidence of _the_ _Golden Kingdom_? But hadn’t Queen Serenity said that Earth had been completely destroyed? How could anything have survived that long, even under a glazier? And why was all of this only being discovered now? Was it a coincidence? Could it be tied to the Phantom’s appearance? Like those beryl crystals that he used? Maybe she was jumping to conclusions about the Phantom-connection but…

 

There were so many questions running through Ami’s head that she worried Hugo might notice… but he still seemed preoccupied with the talk. Her thoughts were so fragmented right now, she doubted he would make any more sense out of them than she could and so was probably tuning her out.

 

‘Of course, I have no answers for you right now and who knows if I ever will find them,’ Sebastian said, seemingly to conclude his tangent on an ominous tone. ‘But I certainly intend to try.’

 

He stepped forward towards the object covered with the velvet cloth Ami had noticed earlier.

 

‘What I will leave you with tonight is another piece that we recovered from the site,’ he explained, presenting his hand towards the large masked object.

 

There was no telling exactly what it was as the cloth was draped loosely over it, only revealing that it was tall and thin – perhaps a statue of some sort. The thirty-something-year-old smirked, playing with the corner of the material anxiously as if he worried that the big reveal would not be as exciting as he felt it was. Speaking for herself, Ami was on tenterhooks now she had drawn the possible link between the Golden Kingdom and these exhibit items.

 

‘It took us months to free her from the ice lake in which she was sealed, so much so that when we first saw her, we wondered if she was fashioned out of ice…’

 

_Her?_ Ami stared. _She?_

 

‘But, we succeeded in releasing her from her frozen prison and we brought her here to share with you tonight. This is just another example of just how sophisticated these people may have been when it came to the arts…’

 

He clasped the material tightly.

 

‘May I present, what my team and I have dubbed, “The Lady of the Frozen Lake”!’

 

In one fluid movement, Sebastian pulled the thin material away to reveal what lay underneath.

 

Everyone gasped in awe once again.

 

Ami felt her jaw drop.

 

The object that had been so shrouded in mystery was indeed a statue fashioned from a greyish-green material. Had that been its only defining feature, then it wouldn’t have been all that remarkable but, even from the back of the hall, Ami could see the exquisite detail of the statue’s face. It was more realistic than most modern humanoid sculptures you would find in gardens or fountains, so detailed in fact that it almost looked like a living woman painted, like a moving statue of London. Stare at her long enough and maybe she would move… but she did not. She was cold and inanimate, fixed to a rocky pedestal and kneeling in perpetual prayer. The details of the wavy strands of her hair or the bird-feather cloak she wore were striking and made it even more remarkable that she had survived that long through time, trapped inside a frozen over lake.

 

Sebastian said no more. He just nodded and said, “thank you.”

 

‘Enjoy the exhibit,’ he added as everyone began to clap. ‘Oh, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me!’

 

Ami and Hugo slowly joined the rising applause.

 

After a few seconds, the latter sighed.

 

‘Well, what do you make of that thing?’

 

‘I’m not sure,’ Ami admitted. ‘I thought that musical box would be the highlight but that statue is something…’

 

She couldn’t think of an appropriate English word to describe it.

 

‘It is _something else_ ,’ Hugo finished. ‘A real oddity. I’ve never seen anything like it before.’

 

Yet even as he said it, his tone was low and reserved, as if he was trying to convince himself of what he was saying. Ami felt uneasy, even when she looked at Hugo. For the first time, in a very long time, when she stared at the profile of his ornate porcelain face, high-cheekbones and pensive green eyes – she saw Zoisite.

 

‘Have you…?’ she swallowed.

 

He turned to look at her.

 

‘Have I, what?’

 

‘Um, ever seen anything like these other things before?’

 

Ami looked up at him expectantly.

 

His stone-cold face melted away and he let out a nervous titter of laughter. All the Zoisite attributes Ami thought she had briefly seen a second ago melted away like snow. Yet, his response staggered her.

 

‘Would it surprise you if I said yes?’

 

Her brow creased.

 

‘W-Where?’

 

He smiled awkwardly. ‘That’s just it… I don’t know. Maybe a dream?’

 

He shook his head and downed the rest of his coffee before patting her hand affectionately. It sent pleasant sparks shooting up her arm. In that moment, it was like all her previous worries were moot. She was with Hugo and, for some reason, that made her feel safe.

 

‘Come on,’ he said with resignation. ‘I’ll introduce you to Sophia and Sebastian properly.’

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Ami and Hugo walked arm in arm towards the front where Sebastian was surrounded by the many journalists and historians who had been sat in the front two rows. It seemed they were not going to pass up the opportunity to ask the good doctor questions. He caught sight of Hugo and gave him a small wave, which Hugo returned with a quick and short raising of the hand.

 

He led Ami towards his sister. The moment she noticed them, Sophia waved excitedly. It was like she was a whole other person, no longer the stressed and grouchy woman who had scolded them for being late before. Maybe she had mellowed out now that Sebastian had completed his big talk, or maybe her change in mood had something to do with the massive sparkling wine in her hand.

 

‘Hughie!’ she said jovially, giving her little brother a small hug.

 

She let him go and stepped back, looking at them both.

 

‘So, what did you think? Wasn’t my Sebbie amazing?’

 

Her voice, mannerisms and choice of nicknames for her brother and boyfriend reminded her a little of Kris. It helped Ami instantly take a liking to this woman.

 

‘Yes, very impressive,’ Hugo nodded. ‘I don’t even know what you were worried about.’

 

Sophia cradled her glass nervously.

 

‘He’s never had to talk in front of the press before,’ she muttered. ‘You of all people know what they’re like, sweetie.’

 

Hugo froze up. Ami was no mind-reader but she could imagine the words shooting through his head. _Mystery. Coma. Miracle. Should have been dead_. She instinctively squeezed his arm. He seemed to thaw at that.

 

‘In any case,’ Sophia said with a massive sigh of relief, ‘It’s over now so I intend to enjoy this evening to the fullest.’

 

Hugo pointed at the gauntlet-like glass in her hand. ‘So I can see,’ he jested.

 

At that moment, Dr Roser came forward, saying a polite hello to them before she was accosted by Sophia and into another conversation. Hugo and Ami found themselves as simple bystanders, listening in for a moment before deciding to side-step away. He seemed to have noticed someone else he wanted to talk to and took Ami’s hand to lead her in their direction.

 

Three or four steps later and Ami was pleased to see Helen.

 

‘Evening, Hugo, Ami,’ she said with a smile.

 

Ami nodded her head in gratitude. It was good to see someone else she recognised.

 

It was then she noticed the slightly smaller, though older than Helen, and dainty woman standing beside her. She had perfectly kept short blonde hair and a lovely pair of hazel eyes. She smiled warmly as soon as she saw Hugo. Unlike either of his other sisters, Hugo willingly stepped forward to hug her with his free hand and peck a kiss on her cheek.

 

Ami was not worried this time as she had been when she had first seen him speaking with Helen. Just by the looks of this woman against Helen, Sophia and especially Dr Roser, she had a very good idea who this was before either of them said a word.

 

‘It’s been a while, Hugo,’ the woman whispered.

 

‘I know,’ he replied, guiltily. ‘I’ve been pretty busy. It’s good to see you, Aude.’

 

She cupped his cheek sweetly.

 

‘You too, sweetheart.’

 

That confirmed it. The eldest of the Zehren siblings – Dr Audrey Zehren.

 

She turned to Ami with a pleasant and curious expression.

 

'So, who is your lovely little friend, Hugo?' Her voice was a soothing, cool tone. Her hazel eyes flickered keenly with interest between Ami and her brother yet it was not as teasing as those given in the past by Helen; it was genuinely curious.

 

Hugo seemed a little shy before responding.

 

'This is Ami. We, um, met on our course.'

 

‘Ah!’ the eldest sister said, her voice soft as a summer breeze. ‘An aspiring physician, too.’

 

Audrey held out her pale, gentle hand.

 

'It's lovely to meet you, Ami.'

 

Ami took the hand immediately. Sensing just how important this meeting seemed to be for Hugo suddenly reminded her that she was shy by nature, and she felt anxious. Her hand must have felt quite limp in Audrey’s clasp.

 

'The same to you too, um, Dr Zehren.'

 

The eldest sister released her hand and let out a small belly laugh. It was so contradictory to her overall persona. Ami felt all the tightness in her chest melt away like the fear had never been there, to begin with.

 

‘Oh, please!’ Audrey chuckled. ‘Only my patients call me _that_. It’s just Audrey to everyone else – or Aude, whichever you feel most comfortable with.’

 

Ami was sure she would be going with “Audrey” – she still found it hard to produce the short words without dragging out the last syllable. She glanced for a moment at Helen, who gave her a reassuring wink.

 

With a sweet sigh, Audrey linked the fingers of her hands and stood straight and graceful with them in front of her.

 

‘Now, you're an overseas student, Ami?’

 

‘Oh, yes.’

 

‘Where are you from originally?’

 

‘Tokyo, Japan.’

 

‘Interesting,’ Audrey nodded, sounding quite impressed. ‘I can’t imagine travelling so far away to study in a foreign country – and to study medicine, too! Is it difficult being so far from home?’

 

'Sometimes, yes. I speak with my friends at home over the phone when possible. Though, thanks to friends here and,' Ami stopped, shyly looking up at Hugo. She cleared her throat, 'Well, it makes life here much easier. I enjoy it a lot.’

 

‘Hm-mm,’ Audrey hummed, seemingly impressed and interested. ‘So, I trust my baby brother has been taking good care of you?’

 

‘Aude! I’m not a baby—!’

 

Audrey just smiled. The way she spoke and looked seemed so maternal, more than Dr Roser be with her children. The only time she had ever seen that maternal side to Imogen Roser was when Hugo was sick, and even then her expression had been creased with worry. If Dr Roser portrayed maternal fear, then Audrey Zehren was maternal grace. Just from the way Hugo was handling himself, he clearly looked up to her and respected her in a manner than he never seemed to express when talking about his parents. He wanted Audrey and Ami to like each other and get along. Clearly, he was not kidding when he had said earlier in passing that he had mainly been looked after by his older sister.

 

‘Hugo has been a... gentleman,’ Ami replied.

 

It was clearly what Audrey wanted to hear judging by her slightly widening smile – and best of all, it was true.

 

The eldest Zehren sibling smirked. 'Good, I'd expect nothing less from my cute little brother.’

 

‘Cripes, Aude!' he sulked. 'All the words you could have picked and you go with “cute”?'

 

Sophia appeared, as if on cue, saying as she passed by: ‘Yep, girly-haired'd be more accurate.’

 

'Piss off, Soph!' Hugo sniped, but she disappeared to greet some more guests. She already looked a little tipsy from the wine.

 

He quickly turned back to his eldest sister and Ami, feeling to need to apologise for his sudden swear. It did not matter, though – Audrey was used to it, and Ami didn’t quite know what he had meant.

 

Helen huffed. ‘Trust Soph to try an' embarrass Hugh in front of his new girlfriend.’

 

The gravity of _that_ word didn't even hit Ami. It barely had time. Everything felt so natural around her...

 

Audrey sighed lightly, resigned to the scene playing out before her.

 

'You better keep an eye on her, Hel. Seb will probably be tied up all evening and the last thing he needs is her getting carried away.'

 

Helen gave Ami a quick smile as she left.

 

Suddenly, Audrey tugged a little on Ami's sleeve. ‘Forgive us. This is what happens when you have all the Zehrens in one place at one time.'

 

‘Yes, complete and utter anarchy!’

 

The three of them turned to see Sebastian approaching.

 

‘Ah,’ Audrey explained. ‘Seb, you’ve escaped!’

 

He wore a jovial smile, clearly wanting to do the rounds and greet his girlfriend’s family. He glanced over at Sophia and shook his head, ‘Well, at least she’s enjoying herself, right?’

 

Then, he offered his hand to Ami, ‘I don’t think we’ve met. Sebastian Olafsson.’

 

‘Ami Mizuno.’

 

‘Ah, you’re Japanese! Well, _hajimemashite, Mizuno-san_.’

 

She bowed politely, her smile widened, ‘ _Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu, Olafsson-sensei_.’

 

‘ _Tengu_ ,’ Hugo muttered under his breath.

 

Ami and Seb turned to him, surprised.

 

Audrey chuckled nervously, ‘I have no idea what any of you are saying but it sounds lovely.’

 

‘It was just “Nice to meet you, Miss Mizuno”, “Thank you very much, Dr Olafsson”, and then I called him a poser,’ Hugo mumbled out before smiling ingeniously at Sebastian, who nodded his head. ‘See, I can show-off too.’

 

Ami blinked, surprised.

 

‘Indeed, Hugh,’ Sebastian nodded. ‘I didn’t know you understood Japanese. I suppose being with Ami here has rubbed off on you.’

 

‘You could say that,’ Hugo agreed, glancing at her.

 

The sudden change in manner had surprised Ami; did he not like Sebastian? She must have thought it “aloud” in her head because the next words out of Hugo’s mouth felt for her benefit as much as a response for the good archaeologist.

 

‘Has my sister rubbed off on _you_ much, “Sebby”?’

 

Ami remembered how Hugo had referred to Sebastian as Sophia’s “sugar daddy” and it was true. He was clearly a much older man, and it seemed odd for him to be with a woman in her early twenties. Looking at him, he seemed better suited to Audrey; he was at least that bit closer to her in age though he was still quite a bit older. It dawned her from there that Hugo probably found the relationship between Sophia and Sebastian… uncomfortable.

 

‘Ha, ha, well, I like to think I’ve been less of a stick in the mud since I met her. Now then,’ the older man quickly responded. Clapping and rubbing his hands together, he pointed to the statute behind them, ‘what do you think of this beauty?’

 

Once again, Ami and Hugo were confronted with it in all its wonder.

 

‘Impressive,’ Hugo said slowly. ‘It's perfectly life sized and crafted to look like a human woman. How is this possible?’

 

‘She almost looks alive…’ Ami agreed.

 

‘She is a beauty,’ Sebastian agreed, admiring with lustre in his cheeks and a fire in eyes. ‘Almost looks like a real human body frozen in ice. Oh, but don’t worry! She isn’t, though. She’s made of stone. Crystal, in fact. Goodness knows how these remarkable people achieved all of this.’ He threw his hands up to present the entire hall of treasures, not only the statue. ‘Can you believe that a Neolithic culture was so sophisticated as to have created all of this and we are only now just discovering it? Many within my field have been desperate to date all of this to a later period but with no success.’

 

Ami was curious about that.

 

‘How sophisticated do you believe these people would have been to create all of this?’

 

‘It is difficult to say,’ Sebastian responded. ‘More research is required but I would argue they were at least as sophisticated as the societies of antiquity. Perhaps more so. In order to learn the truth, we will need to dig deeper.’

 

‘And there is no chance of them actually… being from antiquity?’

 

He shook his head. ‘The carbon dating of the bone in the music box indicates the creature that it is made from died over twelve-thousand years old. Together with the layers these items are being uncovered from the Earth from, lower and older than we could possibly expect humans to be producing these items, it seems we are indeed looking at a hub of civilisation that was destroyed suddenly and unexpectedly. Buried by ice, snow and time.’

 

‘How poetic!’ Hugo murmured. ‘I suppose once these discoveries reach the wider world it will shake up a lot of anthropologists and archaeologists. Nothing like this has ever been found before. It is a miracle any of it has survived.’

 

‘Indeed,’ Sebastian agreed. ‘Frankly, if it were not for the glazier, they probably would have been lost to time.’

 

_Ice preserves_ , Ami thought to herself, suddenly. The voice was an echo from another era and one. _Mercury… or maybe Earth itself_. She glanced around, curiously looking at the tapestries about the room. Her eyes fell on the faded image of what looked like a young woman – or perhaps a very young, long haired man with stars in his hair, and a beautiful maiden standing behind him with a crown of sunrays. ‘What about these?’

 

Sebastian’s eyes lit up again. ‘Well, and I want to reiterate that this is just a theory I have, but I think these depict is a sort of proto-god similar to the Gods of Asgard and Vanir. Much like the much later Norse and Viking cultures, these people were very aware of the stars above them. This is a map of sorts detailing the sky.’

 

Ami’s eyes fell upon the largest of the tapestries that depicted a night sky of stars at the top and the orange and red of a rising sun at the bottom. Right by the horizon, she noticed the outline of a single star – alone and separate from the others. Before she even had a chance to take in breath to ask, Hugo already knew what she was going to say.

 

‘What’s going on with this star here?’

 

Ami inclined her head to agree.

 

Sebastian smirked, ‘Well, I can explain better with this object…’

 

With the excitement of a young boy, he bound over to the remains of a fragment of a triptych. Hugo and Ami dutifully followed, their eyes falling on it. The right-hand depicted what looked like the Earth, with streams of frozen water and massive trees covered in snow, while the left showed the black and blue of space, a thousand stars with the foremost showing what must have once been faces in their centres. Their eyes fell to the middle image, the most prominent and important. It showed what appeared to be a young man with eyes closed and deep in prayer. He was bathed in the light of dawn rising behind him, his hair long spun gold woven through the fingers a form behind him. The outline was distinctly female but there was a massive gash over the face as if it had once been purposely damaged thousands of years ago. It had left it more exposed to the elements, as most of the paint of this womanly figure had long since chipped away, with only the outline of what had once been an ethereal crown in the shape of stars circled around her head and icy wings springing from her back.

 

Ami stared at it. Though it was tattered and torn, her mind was filling in the gaps for her, as if she knew what it had once looked like when first created. Yet, what it created could not be the truth as once her brain had completed the paintwork, restored the golden leave, opals and glimmering tanzanite to the frame, it was her own face she saw looming behind the boy. Moreover, his eyes were no longer closed but a deep, dark grey-green to match the colour of anyolite. It was Hugo’s face she stared at.

 

She looked away, blushing, and looked to the real Hugo for his reaction.

 

He was scowling at it as if he was angry at the damage. His eyes seemed to focus on the purposeful gash over the woman’s face as if the sight of it offended him.

 

‘Was _that_ done at the time?’ he asked Sebastian, pointing at it accusingly. ‘Or is it more recent?’

 

Sebastian seemed taken aback by Hugo’s tone. Ami blinked at him, curiously. _Why are you so upset?_

 

Hugo looked at her, his handsome speckled green eyes suddenly remembering himself. The crease in his forehead melted away. He rummaged for an excuse.

 

‘It’s just…’ he began. ‘This was obviously a stunning piece back in its day. I wonder who would possibly want to destroy it…’

 

‘Ah, yes,’ Sebastian agreed, sadly. ‘Obviously, it has been a victim to the elements over thousands of years. It might have been much worse had it not been for the ice. Yet I would say this damage is almost as old as the object is. The gash is as eroded as the paint, so had it been an accident of one of my crew while extracting it from the eyes, it would have been more likely to break the thing apart than scratch away at her face. As for who and why… it seems like the work of iconoclasts.’

 

Ami didn’t know that word. She must have thought how she didn’t know it because Hugo immediately told her. ‘Radicals, usually religious freethinkers,’ he muttered and then turned back to Sebastian. ‘So, this triptych and the draperies are all religious in nature?’

 

Sebastian nodded, seemingly over Hugo’s visceral reaction. ‘It is only a theory, but…’

 

‘But?’ Ami tilted her head.

 

‘Well, given the place this object was found. My best guess is that what we are looking at is an early depiction of a Baldr-like hero. Oh, I should probably explain, shouldn’t I?’

 

The pair smiled politely as he went on. ‘Baldr was the most beautiful and beloved of the Aesir gods.’

 

Hugo nodded, ‘I vaguely remember him. He was the god of light, wasn’t he? And when he died all light went from the Earth?’

 

‘Something like that,’ Sebastian agreed. ‘He was the son of the rulers of the gods, Odin, the God of Wisdom, and Frigg, the Goddess of Prophecy. Though the roles and duties of the Nordic gods are not quite as uniform as other pantheons, Baldr is remembered primarily as the “shining god” of purity, goodness, wisdom and grace. Though he was not physically powerful, his very body gave off a light and all the world adored him.’

 

Ami looked at the image. ‘Such gods tend not to survive long, do they?’

 

‘Indeed. He is murdered by the spirit of chaos, Loki, who tricked his blind brother, Hodr, into shooting him to death with an arrow of mistletoe,’ Sebastian concluded, his voice breathless and tone full of whimsy. ‘Mistletoe was the only thing that could kill him.’

 

_Mistletoe_ , Ami thought to herself. _Odd how a Christmas ornament could do such damage_. Still, even that sounded wrong. _It_ wasn’t _mistletoe_ , a voice called out to her from the depths of her mind. She shuddered. _Not a_ stick _of mistletoe_. She could taste blood in her mouth when she thought of it. Blood and bile.

 

‘S-so, what about her?’ Ami quickly asked, pointing at the woman. ‘The woman.’

 

‘The Shy Star,’ Hugo slurred distantly under his breath.

 

Sebastian glanced at him, snickering. ‘That’s a fitting name for her, actually. I might have to steal it. Either way, this is where I really put the tinfoil hat on—’

 

‘Tinfoil... hat?’ Ami repeated, befuddled.

 

Hugo got there before her mind could even begin to puzzle it out.

 

‘He means, “speculate to the point of insanity.”’ He was grinning again, his voice teasing and mood suddenly recovered. ‘Go on, Seb. Enlighten us.’

 

‘So,’ the older man said, taking the jab in his stride. ‘I think this female figure is the personification of one of the two stars known to us as “The Morning and Evening Star”, the planets Venus and Mercury.’ He pointed to one of the larger, brighter stars on the space-view side of the triptych. ‘See how this figure is so large and higher in the night sky? The outline of a face is long lost yet the beam of light remains, reaching out towards our lovers…?’

 

_Lovers_ , Ami thought.

 

‘That is the Morning Star, or more specifically, Venus,’ Sebastian concluded. The mention of that snapped Ami’s attention straight back to him. Women associated with planets and stars—could it be? ‘Whereas our maiden here,’ he went on, pointing to how the horizon line went straight down from the top of the woman’s head, ‘is close to the ground and being swallowed up by the light of the Sun and of Baldr.’

 

He crossed his arms, ‘These people seem to have been stargazers who had observed how each of the planets appear above us. Venus shines brightest of the two and high in the sky, while Mercury hangs low and is never far above Earth's horizon. That’s why “Shy Star” if a fitting name for her,’ he pointed to the female figure, ‘This is the personification of Mercury.’

 

Ami felt the lump in her throat grow thicker.

 

Hugo folded his own arms, uncomfortable again. ‘So, this is a depiction of what happens to the planet Mercury when the sun comes up?’

 

‘Well,’ Sebastian said pointedly. ‘I like to think there is some sort of myth behind it. My best guess is that the “Shy Star” is in love with the god of light. So, instead of retreating into space with the other stars, she lingers low to the ground and is swallowed up by him. It kills her every morning but she cannot stay away…’

 

‘It was _me_ who made it up, you _cad_!’

 

Ami and Hugo spun around to see Sophia bound up to her fiancé, wrapping one arm around his neck while clasping a half-full wine glass in the other. She pulled herself onto a tip-toes to kiss him behind the ear; Hugo stiffened, a little uncomfortable to see her being all lovey-dovey in front of them. Even Ami felt a little awkward.

 

‘ _Sophie_ ,’ Sebastian said happily. ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’

 

‘The wine is cheap but so is your publicist!’

 

‘S-Sophi _ahhh_!’

 

He was stuck on the last syllable of her name as she pinched his nose sweetly.

 

‘Oh, calm down! I’m only joking,’ she giggled, eyes shining and cheeks pink as a piglet’s skin. ‘But tell them! I came up with the Light-god and Mercury-star love story!’

 

Sebastian sighed and nodded. ‘I’ll grant you, it was her idea. She cottoned onto it when I told her about what Baldr’s wife did when she discovered he had died—’

 

‘Threw herself onto the flames of his funeral barge or something!’ Sophia cut him off. ‘Isn’t that sad? Why are the love stories of gods always so _sad_?’

 

Hugo looked at her wearily.

 

‘Humans love conflict,’ he replied. ‘No one ever cares what happened after “happily ever after” unless it is sad.’

 

Ami twiddled her thumbs awkwardly. This whole scene, everything she had been told, it all felt so strange inside her head. Like it was filled with truth – told with plenty of embellishments – but still, truth.

 

‘Maybe they are all based on real people with real tragic love stories?’ she suggested.

 

Sophia cocked an eyebrow, ‘What? A planet falling in love with a man made of heaven’s light?’

 

That wasn’t what she meant, of course. But still—

 

Hugo interrupted, ‘She means that two normal people might have fallen in love once but they both died for it and it later got turned into a legend. Don’t be obtuse, sis!’

 

Sophia stuck her tongue out at her little brother. Ami smiled despite herself when she saw Hugo struggling with every inch of his being not to retort with his own tongue.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The evening felt very long. Several hours later, when the party finally started to wind down and having exhausted all conversation with his family, Hugo suggested they finally call it a night. ‘I’ll walk you home,’ he immediately suggested. ‘Although, maybe we should just get a taxi. It’s a bit of a long walk…’ Ami agreed. The last hour or so, she had noticed Hugo had seemed to be particularly egging to go, complaining of one of his headaches.

 

‘I think the taxi would be better,’ she said, apprehensive. ‘Especially if you aren’t feeling well.’

 

He sniffed. ‘I’ll be fine. Don’t… worry…’

 

Hugo blinked painfully, as if there was something in his eye. He placed a finger in the centre of his head, between his eyes and scrunched his eyes shut. Ami watched worriedly as he let the pain pass by. Once it did, he blinked a few more times and shook his head.

 

‘Sorry, Ami. That just came out of nowhere.’

 

‘It’s fine. Shall I call a taxi?’

 

‘Um, in a moment. I should say bye to my mum before I go… but first, I think I’m going to splash my face with so cold water.’

 

‘Very well. I’m going to get some fresh air in the atrium.’

 

Hugo simply smiled. With that, she watched him disappear into the crowds and towards the restrooms while she stepped out into the atrium to step away the humidity of alcohol and hot-breaths get that whiff of fresh air.

 

Mutter from the main hall grew dimmer as she closed the door. The attendees were gone and, for a moment, Ami thought she was completely alone.

 

That was when she heard weeping. Casting her head slightly to one side, she noticed that Helen and Sophia were sitting on one of the lightly cushioned benches near the exhibition poster display and the pedestal of an Mjölnir. ‘An ancient war-hammer,’ Sebastian had called it. ‘Associated with the god Thor.’

 

She crept backwards slightly, feeling guilty already that she was eavesdropping but it was impossible to ignore Helen's light weeps as Sophia nodded lightly. Neither of them had noticed her. The younger sister was brushing the elder’s bleached, dye-wash blue hair behind her ear as she rambled something a little unintelligible into her collarbone. _‘Um jus a' un l—’_

 

Helen lifted her head.

 

‘...l-loss, Soph. It's just, you know, I wonder sometimes if he even cares about me. I always tried so hard but he's just so hard to talk to...’ Helen sniffed.

 

Sophia bit her lip, as if she didn’t quite know what to say. Ami could see from her shimmering, rosy cheeks that she had definitely drunk her fair share of wine. Mayhap her sister’s words sounded as confusing to her as they were to Ami on that moment. She looked as though she was on the verge of falling asleep yet the wideness of her eyes told her that she was determined to pay attention and hear her big sister out.

 

She continued to stroke Helen’s hair.

 

‘Silly-billy,’ she sniffed sweetly in a sleepy, slightly slurred voice. ‘Silly ol’ Hel! You know Dad loves you to bits.’ She picked another strand away from Helen’s eyes. ‘The only reason he's so hard on you is that you were always his favourite.’

 

Helen croaked cynically.

 

‘Ha! no,’ she whined. ‘We all know Hugo's his favourite...’

 

'Oh _please_. Hughie was his and mum’s “baby boy”, sure, but we know that he’s always fought them both with tooth and claw. It wasn’t until… what happened…’ Sophia stopped for a moment as if recalling something painful. Ami knew what it was. She went on, her tone changed. ‘Remember when all that went down? Dad went half-crazy trying to cure whatever Hughie had. Jamming him through more MRI and CAT scan machines than I care to count. Sometimes it felt like Hughie woke up just to make him stop –’

 

She wrapped an arm around her sister’s slender form.

 

‘But you? I used to be so jealous of you! You were always Daddy's Little Brain Surgeon!’

 

Helen wiped her nose on the back of her hand. ‘But I'm not, am I? I just... don't have it in me to go into neurology like he did. How can I follow a field that doesn’t interest me? How can I care for my patients if I don’t care about my work? All my life, he tried to force it on me but I just don’t want to do it! Clinical Psychology is my passion. It's what I _always_ wanted to do…’

 

‘I know…’

 

‘Hugo is better suited Dad’s role than me,’ Helen concluded. ‘He’s smarter than all of us put together.’

 

Sophia pouted. ‘Speak for yourself!’

 

Ami backed away further. She didn't want to let the sisters know she was there and frankly seeing Helen - who seemed so strong and tough - in tears was hard to watch. It was also odd to see the flighty youngest sister from earlier that evening being the shoulder for her to cry on. It was yet further insight into how close the Zehren siblings seemed to be. They all loved each other so much.

 

'Ugh, I'm sorry, Soph!' Helen sniffed again.

 

'What are you apologising for, you divvy?'

 

'For putting upon you like this,' Helen mumbled. ' _I'm_ the big sister, after all. I should be looking after you.'

 

'I'm fine right now,' Sophia chuckled. She tightened her hold around Helen's shoulders, rubbing them soothingly. ‘Even Big Sisters need to cry sometimes, right?’ Helen looked at her, smiling meekly. Sophia smiled back and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead. ‘You’ll be alright, Hel.’

 

Ami smiled. She never had any siblings but it always made her smile to look upon others. Usagi and Shingo could fight like fox and hare but there was still so much love in their eyes, even when they were angry at each other. It made her happy to know that Hugo had such wonderful big sisters of his own.

 

_It must have been nice being the youngest,_ she thought. He probably couldn’t hear her from so far away but, even if he did manage to pick her voice out from this far away, she didn’t mind.

 

She left them to turn back into the baking-hot exhibition room. Clusters of patrons and journalists were still surrounding the many cases of artefacts, all of them looking flushed and dizzy with drink. Just looking at the made her feel dizzy also. In the corner of her eye, she saw Sebastian giving a mini-lecture to a group among whom were Dr Roser and Audrey. It was probably the same one he had given her and Hugo earlier.

 

_He never seems to run out of energy_ , she thought. _He suits Sophia well, despite the age difference_.

 

She scanned the room, looking for Hugo. He knew she had gone to the atrium so she didn’t want to move away from the door lest they miss each other.

 

That was when she felt it. It happened before she even had a chance to really think about the feeling of unease or dark power she felt around her. She thought to pull out her supercomputer and pinpoint it – but there was no need. It was so _potent_ she could taste it in the air, just as she could taste the alcohol and hot-breaths of the guests.

 

It wasn’t just near; it was here!

 

_No_ , Ami thought angrily. _Don’t you dare!_

 

There were so many people around. Hugo! His family!

 

She should have been prepared. She _knew_ it was going to happen now—

 

The lights went out, suddenly.

 

Her heart sank along with the silence that swept across the room. Mutters of confusion rippled throughout the room. In the blackness of the hall, where the only light was the exit sign, Ami felt now was as good as any moment to transform…

 

No one was paying her any mind.

 

_I hope Hugo doesn’t worry about me_ , she thought guiltily as she lifted her hand high.

 

_‘Eternal Mercury, make up!’_

 

In a heartbeat, Ami was gone and the Pretty Guardian Sailor Mercury stood in her place. She did not hesitate for a moment, rushing to the centre of the room where that deathly feeling of dread led her. People parted for her, none of them knew her. Even if they had seen the shy young woman earlier none of them would recognise her as the unusual warrior before them.

 

She stopped at where the source was and found herself standing before the Lady of the Frozen Lake statute.

 

‘Show yourself!’ she cried. ‘I know it’s you.’

 

At her command, there was moment above – but it was not just one person. It was many. One, two, three – ten – fifteen – perhaps, _twenty_. From a balcony that circled the whole room, they all appeared at once. Twenty-odd pairs of unnatural eyes glaring down at her and ready to pounce. A woman screamed while a others began to back away.

 

_Colbert’s shop_ , Mercury thought to herself. _Just like those students who attacked Colbert at his shop._ She thought of Hugo then, somewhere in this darkness. _Hugo_ , she begged in her mind. _Please be all right. I don’t know if you can hear me but… just get out of here. Don’t worry about me. Just get away._

 

_‘Core!’_ one of them cried, so high-pitched it sounded like a bird cry. _‘Core!’_ another said, then a third cried, _‘Core!’_ and with that, they all began to screech that word repeatedly. ‘Find Core!’ a single voice called but the rest continued the mantra. _‘Core! Core! Core!’_ as musical as a murder of crows.

 

Then, they leapt down as one entity.

 

Mercury jumped back and out of the way but others were not so lucky, breaking the fall of several of the cursed slaves. _‘Core!’_ they screamed in their faces, some guests were unconscious, some were trying to crawl away.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of them lurching towards Dr Roser and Audrey. The mindless man reached out for the mother’s neck while they both stood, dumbfounded and frozen like rabbits staring death down on a dark road.

 

Her breath caught in her throat.

 

‘Get away from them!’ she cried, staggering forward and thinking to call an attack. Too late! The man snatched the necklace of sapphire and tanzanite from Imogen Roser’s chest so rough that the chain broke the soft skin before snapping. The good doctor screeched, Audrey clutched her mother while swatting the man with the broken glass, and Mercury shot the man with water.

 

_These are real people_ , she had to remember.

 

_‘Core!’_ the man squalled, blinking the water from his eyes and sniffing the stones like a wild animal.

 

Mercury rushed to Dr Roser and Audrey.

 

‘Are you alright?’ she asked anxiously.

 

Dr Roser clutched her bleeding skin while Audrey held her mother protectively. ‘Who are you?’ she demanded. ‘What’s wrong with these people?’ They looked about the room as the zombie like-people pushed and shoved at the people in the room. Some were grasping at jewellery while others punched at the glass cabinets of some of the artefacts. All the while, they screamed out for _‘Core!’_

 

Mercury realised she had no answer for them.

 

‘I’m no one,’ she told them. Standing, she readied for her next move. ‘You two – make for the exit! Try to get the others to follow. I’ll cover your escape.’

 

She rushed back to the centre of the room to find where the majority of the bespelled humans were – crowded around the Lady of the Frozen Lake statue. At least five of them were grasping at different parts of her and one other was even biting. _‘Core!’_ he cried between bizarre nibbles. _‘Taste Core! Smell Core!’_

 

‘Enough!’ she cried. Behind her she could hear the panicked guests scrambling away. Raising her hand, she called another attack. _‘Mercury Aqua Mirage!’_ It was a gentler attack, she hoped. She couldn’t hurt them. They were still people. Not monsters. The people were pushed off the statue by the threads of water, one by one. ‘Show yourself, you coward!’ she cried. ‘Don’t hide behind enslaved minds! Let them go!’

 

Then she heard it, more movement above.

 

She looked up, bringing down her visors as she did. Upon the balcony, she saw a figure running along and up toward the roof. _‘If you want me,’_ his voice came, _‘come and get me, Princess Mercury.’_

 

That voice – the Phantom.

 

She clutched her fist.

 

_‘I will_ ,’ she mumbled or thought, she couldn’t tell which.

 

Without hesitation, she made to follow.


End file.
